1:8 young people starting Uni haven’t had their meningitis vaccination

[DustyLee123]

I was in a meeting yesterday where this was revealed, and it’s anticipated to climb to 1:15. Do people not know why this vaccination was put into the programme about 8 years ago, when several young people died of meningitis at Uni?
If they haven’t had the meningitis ACWY they probably haven’t had the diptheria/tetanus/polio that’s given at the same time either. Diptheria is said to be on the rise due to people arriving in this country not vaccinated.
What can we do to make people realise how fatal these diseases can be, an encourage them to get protected?

DD is at uni and I didn't even know about it until a couple who'd lost their young daughter to meningitis and hospital negligence talked about it on breakfast TV.

Does it cost about £200?

My son is at uni. Was this done through schools? I have no idea whether he has had this or not, we've never refused any vaccinations other than covid, but I have no recollection of him having this. I'll have to get him to check his records.

And does the £200 include diptheria/tetanus/polio?

Yes, it’s offered around year 9 along with the Diptheria/tetanus/polio.

Should be free from the GP.
You pay for the ACWY if you need it as a travel jab, but if they haven’t had it at school it should be free from the GP

My DC weren’t offered it. I had to chase round alternative NHS sources for a number of necessary vaccinations.

One in fifteen is less than one in eight.

"I was in a meeting yesterday where this was revealed, and it’s anticipated to climb to 1:15."

Do you mean one person is unvaccinated or 15 people are unvaccinated? Obviously one in 16 is fewer than one in nine.

God I've know idea if mine have, I agreed to all vaccines for them.

You’re right, I didn’t question it at the time!
Anyway, the numbers of non vaccinated are set to climb if something isn’t done

Yes, it’s offered around year 9 along with the Diptheria/tetanus/polio.

Thank you. I'm sure my son must have had it then but I'll check with him to be sure.

I was worried my dd, first year university, had missed hers due to Covid school closures.

So this summer I asked our GP for a print out of all her vaccinations, including those given at school, to check she’d had it (she has) and also give her the document so she has a record. Always useful anyway as she is doing a course which will involve travel.

In case he can’t remember….You should have received a letter, at the time, from the school - if you keep that kind of paperwork you might be able to find it. If not the GP records will have been updated to show that the vaccine was received during the school’s program.

One in 15 is less than 1 in 8. Someone did some very poor data presentation at that meeting, by the sound of it. So the vaccine rate is actually going up, not down.

Is this a teenage vaccine or a baby one? (My small kids have had their vaccinations but I can't remember what was included and what gets added when they're teens.)

And 1:15 isn't the same as one in 15... I think the OP struggles with statistics!

I had DD vaccinated after seeing this, I've seen a few posts from Kate about her own DD. www.wiwikau.co.uk/index.php?threads/3112/

Since September 2015 UK babies born have been offered the MenB vaccine as part of the routine immunisation schedule in the first year.

We paid for our 3 children having it at Boots. I remember it as £200 each child.
The oldest two got it before they left for university and the youngst got it just before reception (she got the chicken pox jab too before reception). She is born in 2013 and not a part of the rutine jab programme.

We have paid the MenACWY as well.

I paid for two Men B vaccines before my DS started Uni. Are these free now too for teens? I know they were introduced post 2015 as routine.

He just missed out on the free HPV vaccines so I also paid for Gardasil 9 vaccines when he was 14 or 15.

They were expensive.

True, although I was reasonably sure OP meant "one in eight" and not "a ratio of one to eight".

Who knows in this world where statistics are irrelevant and everyone just throws random numbers around with no context. 😁

Yes MenB is in the routine programme for babies born today.

My best friend died in her first week at university from meningitis - before the vaccinations were available.

She felt poorly, went to bed and when she was found the next day it was too late to save her.

Please, please make sure your young person has had the jab.

I made sure DS1 had the ACWY vaccination before going to uni in 2017 due to threads on MN. DS2 and DD both had it as part of the routine vaccinations.

I believe MenB is now part of the vax program by the government so younger DC will receive it. My DC did have the AWCY at school, but not MenB.

I knew very little about it until I joined a Uni FB page. All my friends have older DC and I’ve never heard them mention it. None of my DCs friends had it before they went to Uni.

Parents are not aware enough of the risks. Also it cost me over £200 to get the 2 part MenB vaccination. Not everyone can afford that. Sending your DC off to Uni costs a fortune upfront. There should be clinical teams going into the campuses to do it.

What I find worrying is that they need the Meningitis B vaccine too and yet no one tells you that. It's now given to babies routinely but current uni age students won't have had it. I paid privately and am so pleased I did as both my children know of uni students who were either hospitalised or sadly died after catching it at Uni