A 19-year-old University of Kent student endured four days in hospital fighting meningitis after kissing a girl at Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury.
Alex Razas’s Sudden Illness
Alex Razas, an economics student, visited the nightclub on Friday, March 13, following his bartending shift. Within 48 hours, he developed a severe sore throat that rapidly worsened.
His friends insisted on rushing him to William Harvey Hospital as symptoms intensified, crediting them with saving his life. There, doctors administered antibiotics while his mother anxiously watched, especially when he took minutes to wake up.
Razas described the progression: “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.”
His friend Alex Waights, 21, who drove him to the hospital, noted the facility was packed with students seeking meningitis treatment. Razas waited about four hours before seeing a doctor. He received the all-clear and was discharged on Wednesday.
Meningitis Outbreak Escalates
The incident ties into a surging meningitis outbreak centered at Club Chemistry. Cases rose by more than a third on Thursday, claiming the lives of 18-year-old sixth-form student Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old University of Kent student.
Health officials suspect the bacteria spread through student accommodations via shared vapes, drink bottles, and cooking utensils.
Expanded Vaccine Campaign
Authorities extended a meningitis vaccine catch-up program to affected schools amid the spike. Approximately 15,000 potentially exposed individuals face urgent calls to receive the MenB jab to curb the spread.
Health Secretary Wes Streeting visited the University of Kent and announced vaccinations for anyone who attended Club Chemistry from March 5 to 15, sixth-formers at four local schools, and other Canterbury university students.
“These are proportionate steps to help us contain spread and we’re keeping that situation under review,” Streeting stated.
Criticism arose after vaccination queues at the university closed early at 5 p.m. on Thursday, turning away over 100 students.
