Baby girl is fighting for her life with meningitis ‘linked to deadly Kent outbreak’ – as infections rise to 15

A baby girl fell critically ill in hospital with meningitis after an outbreak in Kent was declared a ‘national incident’.

As Evelina is admitted to intensive care at London Children’s Hospital after nine-month-old Nala-Rose Fletcher falls ill, doctors warn she faces ‘life-changing’ surgery.

The baby, from Folkestone, fell ill on March 4, just days before a cluster of meningitis cases emerged in Canterbury, but it is not currently known whether the two cases are directly linked.

His parents, Danielle Trott and Nick Fletcher, say they still don’t know which strain he contracted, despite being vaccinated, and insist they were not in Canterbury before they fell ill.

His condition is now stable, but his distraught parents say they are just beginning to accept the lasting impact of the disease.

A. The JustGiving fundraising page has been created to help the family through such a difficult time.

In an emotional statement they said: ‘Nothing can truly prepare you for the pain and fear of what we went through and are still going through.’

‘There were moments that felt extremely overwhelming and sometimes desperately lonely. But you, all of you, totally blew us away.

‘Your generosity and kindness to us with your words of support have meant more than we can express.

‘Nala-Rose’s condition is still very bad and she is in intensive care. We already know that he will face permanent challenges for the rest of his life, and this is something we are just beginning to accept.

‘More than anything, your support reminds us that we do not face this problem alone. And right now that means everything. ‘We thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.’

His mother also issued a stern warning to other parents, writing: ‘If you think your child may have this, please do not hesitate. It’s a terrible, disgusting disease and time is EVERYTHING!!’

The baby’s illness comes as medics battle what they describe as an ‘unprecedented’ and ‘rapidly evolving’ outbreak of meningococcal meningitis in Kent.

So far 15 cases have been confirmed, all requiring hospital treatment, and two deaths, including University of Kent student Juliette Kenny, a Year 13 pupil at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Faversham.

The outbreak has now spread beyond the UK, with Health Minister Wes Streeting announcing that a linked case had been detected in a student attending the University of Kent in France.

He said: ‘This is an unprecedented epidemic. It is also a rapidly evolving situation. My thoughts, and I am sure the thoughts of the entire House, are with the families and friends of these two young men who sadly died.

‘I can’t understand what they are going through. This is an unprecedented epidemic. This is also a rapidly evolving situation.’

UKHSA chief executive Susan Hopkins said: ‘This looks like a super-spreader event that continues to spread through residents’ halls at universities.

‘There will be some parties, especially around this, so there will be a lot of social mixing.

‘I cannot yet say where the initial infection came from, how it was transmitted to this cohort and why it created such an explosive amount of infection.

‘I can say that in my 35 years of working in medicine, healthcare and hospitals, this is the most cases of this type of infection I have seen in a single weekend.

‘What is unprecedented here is the explosive nature. The number of cases is so high in such a short time.

‘The NHS initially managed this as a major incident in the area but they have now expanded this coverage to national oversight.’

Students wear face masks as they queue for antibiotics outside the University of Kent today

Health officials say the strain behind the outbreak is meningitis B, also known as MenB.

Routine vaccination against MenB was introduced for infants in 2015; This means many older adolescents and young adults remain unprotected unless they specifically receive the vaccine.

Hundreds of people are being urged to take preventive antibiotics and around 700 doses have already been administered to people thought to be at risk.

Dr Thomas Waite, England’s deputy chief medical officer, said: ‘This is the fastest growing epidemic I have seen in my career and I think any of us may have had meningitis for a very long time.

‘Whilst this remains an epidemic with consequences in Kent, it is clearly of national significance.’

Public health researchers believe some of those infected visited Club Chemistry in Canterbury shortly before developing symptoms.

More than 2,000 people attended the nightclub over three nights on March 5, 6 and 7, prompting a massive effort to contact people who may have been exposed to the virus. The venue has since been closed ‘until further notice’.

The outbreak has also been linked to a house party in Whitstable, and cases have been identified at several schools, including Highworth Grammar in Ashford, where a Year 13 pupil was hospitalized with suspected meningitis.

It was understood that four schools in total were linked to the outbreak.

A targeted vaccination program for students living in halls of residence at the University of Kent, many of whom are not currently protected against MenB, is due to begin within days.

Wes Streeting said he had asked the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI) to ‘re-examine the suitability of meningitis vaccines’, including whether older children should be given the MenB vaccine on the NHS.

He added that he was “confident” that the UK Health Safety Agency had acted “as quickly and comprehensively as possible” after the first case was reported on March 13, triggering urgent contact tracing.

Health Secretary Wes Streeting arrives in Downing Street this afternoon for a cabinet meeting

Meanwhile, pharmacies have warned of ‘serious vaccine supply constraints due to increased demand’, particularly from worried parents.

More than £3,000 has been raised to support Nala-Rose’s family through the JustGiving appeal set up by Dan Atkinson at Ramsgate-based Guildcrest Homes and its sister companies.

The fundraiser received hundreds of donations and messages of support as the family remained at their bedside.

The UK Health Safety Agency was asked whether Nala-Rose’s case was linked to the wider outbreak but said it could not comment on individual cases.

Despite the growing concern, officials insist the overall risk to the general public remains low and the outbreak is now under control in Kent.

Warning signs of meningitis include high fever, severe headache, neck stiffness, vomiting, confusion, sensitivity to light, and unusual rashes, as well as excessive sleepiness or difficulty waking up.

Health experts emphasize that medical attention should be sought immediately if symptoms occur.