Family pay tribute to grammar school girl, 18, who died in Kent meningitis outbreak as authorities say thousands of revellers who visited ‘ground zero’ Kent nightclub over THREE nights should seek treatment and third school confirms case
This is the first picture of a tragic teenager who died following a meningitis outbreak that has killed on other and put at least 14 in hospital.
Juliette Kenny, 18, died on Saturday surrounded by her family after falling victim to the deadly bug which has swept through several towns in Kent.
The sixth form student lived in nearby Whitstable with her father Michael, 46, mother Rebecca, 49, and older sister Florence, 20.
Her father said they had been left ‘beyond devastated and they have no words to express their loss’.
Juliette’s heartbroken grandmother Linda Kenny also told the Daily Mail: ‘I just can’t bring myself to say anything otherwise I will cry.
‘We are all on antibiotics because we were with Juliette in hospital when she passed away.’
On Monday the head teacher at the Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Faversham Amelia McIlroy fought back tears as she paid tribute to Juliette.
She said: ‘We’ve got a lot of very upset children. It is with great sadness that we are confirming the loss of Juliette – a much loved and treasured member of our school community.
‘Juliette was a student at our school for seven years. She was incredibly kind, thoughtful and intelligent, and she loved our school. She was really very happy here.
Juliette Kenny, 17, died on Saturday surrounded by her family after falling victim to the deadly bug which has swept through several towns in Kent
Juliette (centre) lived in nearby Whitstable with her father Michael, 46, mother Rebecca, 49, and older sister Florence, 20
Students queue at the University of Kent in Canterbury today amid the meningitis outbreak
She continued: ‘Juliette embraced everything that school had to offer, with great enthusiasm and joy, and her humour and her positivity were captivating.
‘In short she was a lovely girl. Her beautiful smile, her loving nature and her sense of fun will be hugely missed.
‘We are all devastated. Our love and our thoughts are with her family and friends at this terribly sad time. Our priority now is the safety and well-being of all members of our school community, and we are continuing to work closely with the UKHSA to ensure they are all as well as they can be.’
A 21-year-old student from the University of Kent has also died after contracting the disease, while 11 other people have been left seriously ill.
Pupils from two other schools have also been diagnosed with the disease following the outbreak at the weekend.
Norton Knatchbull School in Ashford said one of its Year 13 students has meningitis and is now ‘receiving appropriate hospital treatment’.
A Year 13 pupil from the Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys has also been admitted to hospital with meningitis.
A club in Canterbury has closed its door following the outbreak, after being told by the UK Health Security Agency that one of its attendees at the weekend was diagnosed with meningitis.
Club Chemistry in Canterbury which has been linked to the meningitis outbreak
Keeleigh Goodwin, 21, has been diagnosed with meningitis after attending an event at Club Chemistry on Thursday
Keeleigh, who lives in a house-share in Canterbury, has been diagnosed wtih meningitis B and is currently in hospital
The government body has also urged anyone who visited the nightclub on March 5, 6 or 7 to come forward for antibiotics as a ‘precautionary measure’.
Two girls who attended an event at the club on Thursday and were sharing vapes with each other have since developed meningitis symptoms
Keeleigh Goodwin, 21, who lives in a house-share in Canterbury, has been diagnosed with meningitis B and is currently in hospital, where she is expected to stay for at least a week.
Casey Marlow, 19, was also rushed to hospital a few days after she and her friends visited the venue to celebrate her birthday.
Meanwhile, a party in Whitstable has also been linked to the outbreak after the Mail revealed one of its attendees has subsequently been diagnosed with the disease.
Jude File, 15, said he heard in a text from friends today that the person was now in a coma.
The party was held at a private address on Saturday night and the person in a coma was said to be a boy aged around 17-18 years old.
Speaking with his father’s permission, Jude told the Daily Mail: ‘Everyone’s a bit freaked out.
‘The party was for pupils from Langton Boys School and Langton Girls School in Canterbury, where I have friends. I don’t know [the person who fell ill], he’s a friend of a friend.’
Matthew McDonagh, 16, and his brother Luca, 17, were also at the party in Whitstable on Saturday. They confirmed that one person from their friendship circle was already in an induced coma after recently contracting meningitis.
‘It’s completely unbelievable,’ said Matthew. ‘I never thought this would happen again (after Covid). We’ve been told that we don’t even know if the pill that they give you is actually going to help us.’
Casey Marlow, 19, was rushed to hospital a few days after her and her friends spent the evening at a nightclub thought to be at the centre of the deadly outbreak of meningitis
Casey’s mother Emma Marlow said her daughter should make a full recovery with antibiotics
Students queue at the University of Kent in Canterbury today amid the meningitis outbreak
Students wearing face masks walk through the University of Kent campus in Canterbury today
Meningitis is spread through close contact such as kissing, and microbiology experts today confirmed the Canterbury cases are of the serious bacterial form of the disease.
Infectious disease experts believe the outbreak is ‘unusual’ and may be linked to a combination of lower vaccination rates since the Covid pandemic and a ‘new strain with different behaviours’.
The vaccination ACWY-135 is received by teenagers in England between the ages of 13 and 14, in Year 9. Experts say vaccination rates among students are at 73 per cent.
More than 30,000 students and staff at the campus have been alerted by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), warning them to stay vigilant against symptoms. The university has now postponed some in-person exams and moved others online.