A bacterial strain linked to two deaths has taken hold in Kent, with students and young people bearing the brunt of an outbreak that public health authorities are working urgently to contain.

There has been an outbreak of measles in the UK, with over 96 laboratory-confirmed cases of measles in England between 1 January and 9 February 2026, according to the latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). 64% (61 of 96) of these cases have been in London, and