Meningitis outbreak

[Flipitoff]

I’m freaking out a bit

DD has been here all day after travelling from uni yesterday. Her housemate is really poorly and now I’ve just seen the news about the meningitis outbreak at her uni.

Her housemate is in the house on her own now - I’ve told DD to call the uni and let them know. Worried that DD has been here with us all day in case she gets sick

This is on my list of things to check for once DS has finished his A levels. It’s not straightforward to understand from looking at his red book so I need the GP surgery to actually answer the phone and speak to me….

Health officials are giving preventive antibiotics to close contacts and monitoring the situation. According to sky news so might be worth contacting gp tomorrow or even 111 tonight to get dd antibiotics

Both my dc got very sick as babies, one at 6 days, the other at 3 weeks and both were given ab's and anti virals immediately. Chances cannot be taken.

Absolutely tragic news today. You can get the Men B vaccine privately at Superdrug instore health clinics. It’s a couple of hundred pounds and you need 2 vaccines one month apart.

My DD’s had the vaccine as babies then a top up including the newer strains at 16, our drs offered it prior to university. If anyone here has kids heading in September ask your gp (or the practice nurses) for vaccination

The Men B vaccine was only introduced for babies in 2015.

They were given a MenB vaccine on the NHS? I was told it wasn’t available for teenagers.

If you haven’t already, inform the university about the housemate. But also let them know your DD is with you. UKHSA should trace contacts but if she’s been in close contact with her housemate since she became ill she may need some antibiotics.

Not many teens that age would have had the Men B. I have uni age kids so I understand your worry x

My eldest was due to get the Meningitis vaccine and HPV, but missed out on both due to Covid disruption. School or heath board did not reorganised it or signposted other ways of getting it, so entire year group missed out. That year would be 2nd year Uni now.

I've just asked my own 2005 born about this as I'd forgotten what jabs she'd had. She had one which, presumably, was the ACWY one but doesn't look like that covers meningitis b. Should I be getting that sorted?

Has someone called an ambulance for the sick housemate though?

My 2005 born DD is also at uni and I’ve been worried she wouldn’t recognise the symptoms, so I’ve been sending her info on it. I couldn’t remember what vaccinations she’s had, but I’m pretty sure she’s had everything that was offered at secondary.

Edit: she’s not at the uni where the breakout is, but it made me think to let her know of the symptoms as it’s something that I doubt she’ll have known about otherwise, sometimes I assume they see all the same health awareness ads that I do!

Op. - really hope Housemate OK and your DD remains well.

Given that many Uni kids around that age might have missed out due to Covid disruption, really hope Uni's signposting how to catch up with Vaccine (even if it has to be paid for)

My dd is 29 and just before she went to uni it was in the news to get a meningitis vaccine - she was the first one in our town to have it done!

then my son 5 years later during Covid was not offered it even tho I asked for it

Op if housemate is showing signs of meningitis she needs to go to hospital and dd needs antibiotics

@damelza and how lucky to have a doc be on the end of a phone call and to come around like that. Now its endless 111 and messing around

OP, I'm a bacterial meningitis and septicemia survivor here. I contracted the disease at the age of 26. Look at the Meningitis Research Foundation or Meningitis Now websites...they will give you the list of symptoms. Please remember not everyone has all the symptoms and not everyone develops the rash.

Feel free to ask me any questions you want. If in doubt, straight to A&E.

Absolutely notify the University regarding your daughter's friend.

Men B vaccine is usually 2 doses and is only available privately to your daughter's age group. She should have received the ACWY vaccine at school. If you're not sure, then your daughter needs to call her GP surgery to ask.

Try not to panic, which I know is difficult.

Will anyone at the uni be contacted re housemate as pp said maybe get ambulance on the way

Has your daughter called her housemate to tell her to go and get antibiotics? I’d also get some for your daughter as a precaution.

Agree it was at some point 2015 men b introduced.
i also have 1 vacced and 1 not
2015 had men b
2012 had i feel men C?? But will be getting acwy now y9. I wanted to pay for men b when eldest was 4 but she freaked out when having chicken pox vac and took a long time so put it off then covid etc.

ive had one of the jabs as there was an outbreak at uni 1997. I think it was offered to all the uni housing blocks. We had all the signs of meningitis and septicaemia on wallet size cards.

hep b also seems to have been introduced and neither of mine had that. And obviously the TB jab stopped being given which concerns me

If housemate has symptoms of meningitis she needs to be in hospital getting iv antibiotics

Very true, things were very different 40 years ago, I was very lucky indeed. I have my discharge note imprinted on my brain (ironic...) and I remember it said "Pyogenic meningitis with septicaemia"

The other thing to mention is that some, like my university aged son, didn't receive the meningitis jab because school was closed due to Lockdown. I have booked him in for one when he returns home for Easter.

If you can afford to pay for the vaccine, my advice is yes. It's not cheap, I paid £153 per dosage for my son 10 years ago.

It's not a disease I'd wish on my worst enemy.