University Student Hospitalised for Four Days After Meningitis Outbreak at Nightclub
A 19-year-old University of Kent student spent four days in hospital battling a severe case of meningitis, which he believes he contracted after visiting a nightclub at the centre of a growing outbreak. Alex Razas, an economics student, attended Club Chemistry in Canterbury last Friday, March 13, following his evening bartending shift.
Rapid Onset of Symptoms and Hospitalisation
Less than 48 hours after his night out, Alex developed a "really, really bad throat" and his condition deteriorated rapidly. He credits his friends with saving his life by insisting on taking him to hospital as his symptoms worsened. At the William Harvey Hospital, he was "pumped" full of antibiotics while his fearful mother watched, with one particularly alarming moment when he took "minutes" to wake up.
Alex described his escalating symptoms to the Telegraph: "Throughout the whole day, I just started getting more and more symptoms. I started getting a really high fever. My muscles all over my body just started feeling really weak. Then my back started getting really sore and painful to the touch. Then my neck started getting really stiff and painful to the touch. And then I was feeling really bad."
Outbreak Context and Vaccination Response
Alex's hospitalisation comes amid a meningitis outbreak that saw cases soar by more than a third in a single day on Thursday. Club Chemistry is believed to be at the heart of the outbreak, which has already claimed the lives of 18-year-old sixth-form pupil Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old University of Kent student.
The bacteria is thought to have spread through student accommodation, potentially via shared items like vapes, drinks bottles, and cooking utensils. In response, officials have extended a meningitis vaccine catch-up programme to schools affected by the outbreak, with around 15,000 people potentially exposed now being urged to get the MenB jab urgently.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting announced during a visit to the university that anyone who attended Club Chemistry from March 5 to March 15 would be offered the vaccine, along with sixth-formers at four schools and other university students in Canterbury. "These are proportionate steps to help us contain spread and we’re keeping that situation under review," he stated.
Criticism of Vaccination Rollout
However, the vaccination effort has faced criticism after officials closed the queue at the University of Kent on Thursday, turning away more than 100 students to meet a 5pm deadline. Alex's friend, 21-year-old Alex Waights, who drove him to hospital, noted that the building was "packed" with students being treated for meningitis, and it took approximately four hours before Alex was seen by doctors.
Thankfully, Alex was released after four days in hospital and given the all-clear on Wednesday. The incident highlights the urgent public health response required to stem what officials describe as an "unprecedented spread" of the disease in the Canterbury area.
