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

I think for sixth formers and uni students it can get missed as a bad hangover..in addition uni students are often away from home where as high school children would be with family so parents are more likely to pick up in health concern

Yes - if you mean meningitis B, it seems to wane around 3-5 years after the initial vaccinations. Men ACWY is a bit longer lasting, but protection is unlikely to be good 11 years on. The information around this is appallingly scarce - people are given the impression these shots are a one-and-done for life once you’ve completed the course, but the protection looks to be much shorter lived than MMR for example.

Vaccination uptake for MMR in Kent is low, around 85%, which compromises herd immunity considerably. And if the two that have died from meningitis, one has been confirmed as a student from the university.

Make sure they know the symptoms, I had a tiny spotty rash on my chest at uni during an outbreak and a death in another halls. Didn’t fade under a glass and I had a terrible headache so I went to GP feeling a bit of a fraud and he tested the rash with a glass too - I was isolated from the waiting room and in an ambulance within ten minutes. Lumber puncture at the hospital and diagnosed with viral meningitis, I remember them putting dark glasses on me as I couldn’t stand the hospital lights. I felt very poorly and was in hospital for 2 weeks, very tired after and ended up leaving uni but otherwise recovered ok thankfully. No idea how I caught it but I’d had glandular fever a month before which they said had made me more susceptible. They said it was relatively mild as I’d reacted so fast to the rash before it spread.

Just to clear up a couple of misconceptions: it is not possible to get full coverage against meningitis; there are two many different bacteria that can cause it. Men B is the most common, accounting for over 80% of cases in the UK. The ACWY offers coverage for four other common causal bacteria, but does not cover MenB.

Anyone who has symptoms and suspects meningitis should seek medical help immediately - that means going to A&E or calling an ambulance, it does not mean making a GP appointment for next Wednesday. If you have had close contact e.g. sharing living accommodation with someone who is diagnosed with meningitis you should contact UKHSA AND your GP. It is possible to get a preventative antibiotic but you need to do this before any symptoms manifest.

No one with meningitis symptoms should be left alone to sleep it off. It remains a highly dangerous condition. I'm an epidemiologist working in medical research.

I remember my Dad contracting meningitis, the only symptom he had before the headache kicking in was sudden confusion. He'd been driving to his local supermarket and was physically feeling ok initially, but he said that during his journey he suddenly couldn't remember where the supermarket was.

Luckily my stepmum was with him, she took over the driving, got him home and rang the GP who sent an ambulance immediately. He had no rash or a stiff neck either.

I was discouraged from getting it privately when my DC were small as I was told the NHS would introduce a catch up program. They never did. Some NHS surgeries are very anti anything private. Mine used to be.

I remember years ago being given a meningitis c injection.

Is it recommended that adults get this vaccine for meningitis b?

There was a very sad death at the start of the academic year at Bournemouth Uni.

It's terrible that this isn't included in the NHS schedule for Uni students, or at the very least better publicised.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/crrerl0pw9do

Plus the bacterial strain is often spread by very close physical contact (often kissing).

It might be worth seeing if you can pay to have the vaccine?
It wasn’t included in our children’s vaccination schedule as it’s only been included in the last 10 ish years.
one type was included the other wasn’t from memory.
We paid to have our older ones done as one of them missed the back dating schedule by 6 months due to his age.

I paid privately to have ours done, and only after watching a documentary on it. My GP almost made me feel I was being neurotic when I rang to find out where it could be done privately.
Our youngest was vaccinated against chicken pox once I realised that I could get them done privately. The others had already had it, and one was really poorly with it.
i wish parents were given all the available information at pre school jab appointments etc.

@Flipitoff Hope your dd and flatmate are feeling a little better.
Ive seen a copy of the ukhsa letter online with advice for students living in a certain block to receive antibiotics from I think they said tbe "senate " building. Would be worth checking emails or with flatmates about whether that is dd. If you cant get back to uni for them your GP or pharmacist may be able to help

There some confusion with vaccines on here. Please see below for the correct information.

Men C - introduced in 1999, as part of the routine childhood vaccination scheme
Men ACWY - introduced in August 2015 for 13-15 and students entering university up to the age of 25
Men B - introduced in 2015, as part of the childhood vaccination scheme for babies only

Only children born from 2015 onwards have been vaccinated against Men B on the NHS. If you want your child to receive this vaccine, then you need to pay privately. It's usually 2 doses and I paid £153 per dose 10 years ago for my son.

Most children entering university now, would have received their Men C as a child (GP surgery) and then a booster as a teen (at school). They should have also received their Men ACWY at school as a teenager, usually around Year 9. If they are under 25 and missed this vaccine due to COVID then your GP service can offer it on the NHS.

If you aren't sure what your child has received, then call your GP surgery and ask. If your child is at University, then ask them to call their surgery.

Omg doc in ITV has just made it confusing ...we offer men b and later on the way one !
He doesn't menrion when or dates and ages !!

The information about Men B is appalling and confusing for parents as this thread shows.

If you phone the GP about your child's vaccinations they will simply tell you your child's vaccination schedule is up to date. This is because Men B is not on the NHS vaccination schedule for anyone born before 2015. You have to be a pretty savvy parent (with the means to pay £220 ) to even know about the risks of Men B. Given most don't pay for extra jabs privately it's no surprise most people aren't vaccinated against Men B. The messaging of a jab being private is that it can't possibly be that important (see the flu and Covid jabs for example). Most parents put faith in The NHS to vaccinate against killer infections in vulnerable groups. My tow DSs (24 and 21 ) are fully vaccinated as per the NHS schedules. They don't have Men B. I distinctly remember phoning the GP up and them saying they had all the vaccines.

If one thing comes out of this awful case, hopefully it will be a public health campaign and a reconsideration by the JCVI.

I’ve been looking into whether or not a Men B booster is needed recently as my da is going to uni in Oct and had the men b jab privately when it first came out - 9 years ago I think. There’s no guidance on boosters yet but I found that Oxford Uni are doing a study into it. Protection only lasts a few years so my ds is likely to have very few antibodies now. I’d already decided to try to get him a booster but what I’ve read recently makes me think I should just get a new course of two shots to be on the safe side. Babies have three shots of the same dose older kids and adults have so there’s no danger in my view. He had a meningitis scare last year and it was an experience I don’t want to repeat.,

@Piggywaspushed and the doc in Itv has just done the same thing ...it's ridiculous .

@PalmedOlive just do it yes. .
Shocking that it doesn't last !

It also doesn't cover all B strains

I’ve heard that even if vaccinated when a baby, it doesn’t last until adulthood.
please contact your friend’s parents ASAP or call an ambulance yourself for her.
Keep your daughter at home with you and keep a very close eye on her.
I will get my boys vaccinated ASAP privately.

Only children born from 2015 onwards have been vaccinated against Men B on the NHS. If you want your child to receive this vaccine, then you need to pay privately. It's usually 2 doses and I paid £153 per dose 10 years ago for my son.

This is wrong - MenB vaccine doesn't offer lifetime cover. Your son will not be protected, or children that had it as babies.

Boosters are advised every five years.

Ffs.Why don’t they just vaccinate all kids now? It’s horrifying.

We were also saying how insane it is that catch up vaccines aren’t offered. Also, some countries it’s more routine to test at doctors rather than a wait and see/it’s viral approach, give boosters for things like whooping cough, don’t attend school with hfm etc.

Good information that it doesn’t last. So even the babies being vaccinated for men b now and since 2015 will need another vaccination.

I’m guessing 6 months before Uni is the best time so it lasts for the duration they are there?