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

That baby is apparently vaccinated as well. Which is a bit alarming.

Yes I have seen about the baby from Folkestone. Poor love. But I don’t know whether she’s now included in the outbreak, or might be a sporadic case who happens to be from Kent?

A couple of useful tips if you’re worried about an unwell child. My brother contracted men B as a teen. It was incredibly sudden. We were out in the day and he complained of a headache on the way home in the car. Just three hours later he was in tremendous pain and an ambulance was called. I remember the following:

• a huge aversion to any light
• excruciating headache
• could not touch his chin to his chest
• could not lift his legs without agonising pain.

Don’t be ridiculous. There are sporadic outbreaks of meningitis from time to time. With the vaccination program these sporadic outbreaks have become increasingly rare. But Men B, super rare, is now the most common cause because a vaccination has only been available since 2015. So the group most susceptible to Meningitis due to their overfamiliar sociable behaviour is at risk during sporadic outbreaks because they are unlikely to be vaccinated currently.

Locking down uni students in halls of residences would be the worst thing you could do. It’s a disease that is passed on by direct contact, mainly via the mouth so kissing, sharing utensils and generally touching contaminated surfaces and transferring to mouth. A lockdown just increases opportunity to pick up an infection.

Lockdowns work with low IQ populations who don’t understand how specific infections are transmitted. The best way to prevent transmission of most infections is hand hygiene, it’s amazing how quickly this simple preventive measure has been forgotten. Wear your mask, stay at home but if you’re not washing your hands then all other measures are a total waste of time.

Yes agreed,when my brother in law got it none of the rest of the family caught it from him even their newborn. They all took preventive antibiotics as soon as he was diagnosed. It's not airborne spread.

Unless you paid for the men b one she would have had the men acwy vaccine which protects against different strains.
The men b vaccine is only effective for a few years so currently given to infants due to their risk level, but not teens routinely.

Money! I paid for my two youngest to have the Men B double jabs in 2016 & it cost £190 per child, today the price has risen to £220!
The NHS doesn’t want to cover the cost.

My comment was in response to one asking why on earth doesn’t the NHS routinely offer the Men B vaccine.

I appear to have failed to link my answer to the question.

Why are you telling me about closing a nightclub?

I spent a bit of time reading about men b last night and it took a while for me to get my head around how transmission and the vaccine works, along with why students & babies are most at risk. I think I understand now, but it’s not how I thought it worked ie it’s v different to the Covid spread. However it is odd there are so many cases in one go - so either the strain has mutated, or simply more students than normal have it atm due to an intense superspreader. Both obviously being discussed in the news

@Peanutbutteryday or it's been in the community because few people have the jab and if they do it's waned.
Its been in the commute and no one has picked it up now it's exploded

It upsets me that again its a privilege to be able to protect your young ones. 200 is a lot of money.

I work with teens and I have to say their personal hygiene is poor. .the amount of coughing and sneezing without covering their face is shocking.

Meningitis B is now the commonest form of meningitis. Meningitis isn't as rare as all that. I know of local cases over the last few years. Outbreaks are rare.

I can't see why people can't wrap their heads around the idea that the nightclub clsed to prevent further spread during an outbreak and as amrk of respect. Would you keep a business open while many illnesses and two deaths were linked to it?

my dd works in uni accommodation <<not in Kent>> and so i am worried about her
i have told her to watch out for symptoms

There are people on another thread who had their appointments cancelled - i.e. when they turned up for the vaccination they were told supplies had been diverted. So it looks like even if you want to vaccinate your DC you might not be able to do which will only add to the panic. Unless you want to pay even more for it - some of the private doctors/clinics have managed to get hold of supplies and I was called back last night by a local private clinic and offered an appointment but the cost was going to be £210 per vaccination - so £420 per child! I said no because I thought I had Boots booked at the weekend but now it looks like that might be cancelled and I am now wondering if I should have just paid the money...which is ridiculous as it feel exploitative.

@NoahVale can you /she pay for the jab

Yes, my sister's boyfriend, on holiday in the Isles, was found underneath a camp bed ,banging his head repeatedly on the frame.

I've just seen my Boots appointment has been cancelled.....

I spoke to our GP yesterday regarding my son and she said that although babies have been routinely vaccinated for Men B since 2015, she doesn't understand why a booster isn't then offered as teens at the same time as the MenACWY vaccine. She said it's madness that it isn't. Under 5's are at risk from Men B but then the risk increases again for teenagers/young adults. A booster would make sense at around Year 9 at school, when they receive the MenACWY.

As it stands if a parent wants their child to have a booster, they will need to pay for it. Any child born prior to 2015 isn't eligible for the Men B vaccination on the NHS, so both doses will be only given by paying privately.

Ds breaks up on 27th

that hadnt crossed my mind

Vaccines have run out according to Radio 4 but of course they wouldn’t stop an outbreak like this anyway. However I was wondering why a mass expansion of the preventative antibiotics isn’t an idea given that they provide 90% protection and would have immediate impact. They’re pretty cheap to manufacture compared to a vaccine.

@WeirdyBeardyMarrowBabyLady
they are saying that, take the antibiotics offered.
perhaps that will be rolled out to all universities

I think diverting the finite stocks of the vaccine to where it is most likely to be needed is a very wise decision.