Meningitis B

Fgs.

Ah yes of course that is why we don’t know how long the vaccine lasts, silly me should have thought about that. So, I have a child off to secondary in a year, will be flexi boarding (for various reasons), am
I best to wait until sixth form to vaccinate or should I vaccinate now and then again then?? Any doctors??

I am on a waitlist for vaccination, but told DD not to share drinks etc.

Bacterial meningitis needs close contact to spread.
Also we don't know how long vaccination protection lasts for as only been given widespread for ten years so need to check immunity amongst the vaccinated for a few more years

Hi @JohnTheRevelator, please take a look at the video I shared.

As a Canterbury mum with kids at senior schools in the city, I've spent the whole week in a state of hypervigilance, but then I watched the video - released by one of the affected universities in Canterbury. It's by the Dean of the Kent and Medway Medical School. He's a professor and also an intensive care consultant.

I feel quite a bit more reassured now that transmission is actually quite difficult, unless sharing drinks, vapes or intimately kissing. This is not like Covid.

@JohnTheRevelator the one missed would not have covered MenB which is the current issue in Kent.

I have a 19 year old DGD who is currently on a gap year after sitting her A levels. I was rather alarmed when I saw all the news articles about meningitis going around. I asked my DD if DGD had had the vaccination and she said she was meant to have it in the spring of 2020. But we all know what happened then! I looked online about her being given the vaccine now and it said that 19 year olds weren't eligible for it! I was like 😱 The media are making a huge thing about it yet you can't get a vaccination for teenagers at risk. Unbelievable. Only available privately at a cost of around £200 which my DD just doesn't have.

I've just seen this video by a professor who is also an intensive care consultant.

It explains how transmission can take place and how this is nothing like Covid.

Exactly. I paid for dcs before university (like pp, only heard about Men B accidentally) . I don’t care it was £200+ - I am not at all well off but that was a Top Priority for me.

For me, it is up there with providing food. I'm on a tight budget but ds WILL be vaccinated before he heads off in the autumn. I'll pay for it somehow.

It's a shame it is only available privately. I guess the poorer kids just rely on fingers crossed!

Your 20 year old is an adult, so they decide!

Boots have opened a waiting list for MenB vaccinations. I have a ds going to uni in September so I've booked him on to the Boots list.

If it takes them a couple of months to restock, that takes us to May, then two jabs a couple of weeks apart, (June or early July), then 6 weeks for it to be fully effective by the end of August.

The new term starts in mid-September.

@Sassylovesbooks I agree with everything you say except “If you have a teenager/young adult, then arrange for your child to be vaccinated as soon as humanly possible, especially if they are at university.”

It would seem immunity following vaccination is highest in the first year and then wanes. I would vaccinate in the summer before starting university or if there is an outbreak nearby like is happening in Kent.

If you vaccinate now, you will not be allowed to vaccinate again fir five years so may not have the immunity you need, when you need it most.

Good for those parents. I can understanding wanting your kids home and safe. And they will only cause an outbreak if they have very close contact with others. Hopefully they will be responsible enough to take precautions, and not share vapes and water bottles etc.

My kids had theirs when they started University. Took a lot of persuading from me and they reluctantly agreed. I got a text from one of them this morning thanking me for pushing them to have the vaccine. I only did it because it was a word of mouth thing amongst parents. There was not that much information available.

Children under 5 and teenagers/young adults are in the 'at risk group'. In truth any person, regardless of age can contract Meningitis. In 2015 it was decided to started vaccinating babies as part of the childhood vaccination schedule - babies have their last jab around a year old. Currently there is no booster given on the NHS, as part of the childhood vaccination schedule. The vaccine loses its effectiveness in appropriately 5 years. Those children first vaccinated in 2015 as babies, are now coming up 11 years old, so the effectiveness of the vaccine would have declined.

If you have a child born prior to 2015, your child hasn't received the Men B vaccination, unless you have paid for it privately.

The NHS can only vaccinate those who are deemed as 'a higher risk'. There isn't the funds, to vaccinate every single person on the NHS.

The supply of vaccine has been diverted to Kent, which is why some private appointments are being cancelled. The health officials need as many students as possible to be vaccinated and/or taking antibiotics before universities in Kent close for Easter next week and students travel home.

If you have a teenager/young adult, then arrange for your child to be vaccinated as soon as humanly possible, especially if they are at university.

I know from personal experience how utterly devastating the disease is, as I contracted bacterial meningitis and septicemia at 26. I spent 10 days in an induced coma on life support in ICU. I survived after being given a 30% chance of survival. I may have all my limbs/fingers/toes but I have many other side effects from the disease. I have yet to meet a single person who has survived, who hasn't suffered any side effects.

@FruAashild
Oh god thank you i didnt think
I've asked for it to be removed x

@Oxo01 I don't think you should be sharing so much detail on a public forum.

I looked at Boots for the men b vaccine just out of interest (for my son, not me) and all appointments for the month ahead are now fully booked.

Apparently it takes two months before you're fully protected from the vaccine so even those having their first dose now won't be fully protected for a while.

I don't live near the outbreak.

I think if either of my sons were currently at University of Kent (their friends were a few years ago) I’d tell them to queue for the antibiotics and then come home.

I got mine done at 8/10 as my dad nearly died of it aged 50. I thought it would
last them 20 years. Very upset to find it’s now just a few years and will get them redone at the first opportunity. I’ve booked in boots but sounds like it
may get cancelled. Neither are in uni but prime age group. I’d say it’s very unusual to have an outbreak like this. I can’t remember one in my
lifetime.

Do you have children? If they, at any age, were in a town with an outbreak of a life threatening infection wouldn’t you prefer to be then home? Also, sure in many cases it’s young adults choosing to go home not being forced. Also to add in, many halls of residences don’t allow students to stay in the holidays.

I keep hearing in the media of parents bringing their darlings home from kent University, so that they can xause an outbreak in their home town 🙄