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Original poster

Meningitis ACWY vaccine - has your fresher DC had theirs yet?

57 replies

bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 10:18

DS went for his yesterday. He was told his arm might be a bit sore afterwards and he may get some flu like symptoms. This morning he woke up with a temperature of 38.8 C, a splitting headache and feeling dizzy. He is moping around in bed feeling sorry for himself not that the moping around in bed is any different from usual not even bothering to play on his phone Sad.
He took some paracetemol for the headache but temp is still 37.7 C 2 hours later.

I think I read that his Uni will be running vaccination sessions to catch those who haven't had the vaccine before leaving home,(so assume other Unis will be doing the same) but given the possible side effects, I would advise anyone whose DC intends to have the vaccine to get it done in plenty of time before they leave home.

OP posts:
mrsrhodgilbert · 08/09/2015 11:30

Dd had hers yesterday but seems absolutely fine. She's gone off to work and not mentioned it this morning.

Mind you, she's had other problems to deal with, her new shiny student bank card was swallowed by a local cash machine last night. She immediately rang to cancel it but this morning cannot login to her account. We're going to go into the branch later to see what's going on. I think the machine had a software problem, she took a photo of the screen. She handled it well but I'm pleased it happened so close to home, not late at night in an unfamiliar city in a couple of weeks, leaving her without cash.

When dd1 went away we told her to keep £20 hidden away in her purse along with a reliable taxi number, not to be used in case if emergencies.

Original poster
bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 11:57

Glad your DD is fine mrsrhodgilbert. I have checked the NHS website and it specifically mentions headache and muscle aches as well as mild fever as the side effects for teenagers. Don't think he's going to get much done today Hmm

Hope your DD gets her bank card sorted quickly. DS has had his card but not his PIN yet so can't do anything with it. Also needs some sort of security code so he can set up on-line banking for his new student account. I hope it all arrives before he leaves next week as he is clueless and will need 'lessons'.

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mrsrhodgilbert · 08/09/2015 12:43

The nurse did say she could have pain in the arm, a headache and generally feel a bit 'off colour'. I would have expected that to have happened by now if it was going to. Most of her friends have had the jab and there have been no tales of reactions afterwards but obviously some will react. I hope he feels better soon. Dd has a couple of friends with glandular fever at the moment, that wouldn't be a great thing to get at this point.

I hope the new bank card arrives before she goes away. She has done online banking for a couple of years, it normally works very well.

sassymuffin · 08/09/2015 13:12

DD had a sore arm for a couple of hours but it didn't stop her going out to town that night so she must of been lucky.
Our local surgery ran out of supplies on Friday and they were cancelling all further appointments.

bruffin · 08/09/2015 13:32

DS had his a couple of weeks ago and had a bad headache and sore arm for about 24 hours.
A young lad at work recently had meningitis and was off for 6 weeks and was still wasnt right when he came back.

Mindgone · 08/09/2015 13:50

Any improvement bigbluebus? Might be worth giving him ibuprofen too.

SecretSquirrels · 08/09/2015 14:53

Annoyingly second years don't get this on the NHS. I am paying for pfb DS1 to have it before he goes back.
DS2 in Y13 should be called up but apparently the vaccine is in short supply.

Original poster
bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 18:00

mindgone I did give him Ibuprofen at lunchtime before I went out. His temp is down to 37.3 now, so that's an improvement, but he's whinging saying that his headache has got worse again now.

Our GP surgery didn't send DS a letter even though I asked twice and they said letters would be sent - so I don't expect there's any shortage of vaccine at our GP practice.

secretsquirrels It's so annoying when you fall outside the target age group, so don't qualify for a vaccine. DD has had Shingles 5 times but can't get the Shingles vaccine as she's not 71 or 79 Hmm I have asked on a number of occassions but apparently she just has to suffer and take antivirals each time.

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Doilooklikeatourist · 08/09/2015 18:37

DD had hers last week
( the surgery was like a school reunion apparently )
No side effects at all

Original poster
bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 18:45

Apparently there are 2 different brands of the vaccine. I don't know which one DS had but I wonder if one has more side effects than the other. Hmm

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MossAgate · 08/09/2015 18:49

I have been told that my dc doesn't need this jab as she had a meningitis booster last year which covers her for this one as well.

I've checked twice and the surgery assures me that this is correct. Has anyone else had this response?

Original poster
bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 19:00

Don't know about the booster but I thought this vaccine has a new strain (W) which has only just been added in. It replaces the old Meningitis C vaccine which was previously given. Is that what your DD had MossAgate ?

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stonecircle · 08/09/2015 19:06

Agree with bigblue Moss, this vaccine has only just come in. DS2 had his mid-August (and also had very painful arm) and our surgery was fairly clueless. When I rang to make an appointment, the vaccine had just had loads of publicity - on BBC breakfast news and full page in the Observer. The reception staff knew nothing about it. When I said, given the publicity, they must have had loads of enquiries I was told I was the only one!

Lolimax · 08/09/2015 19:11

Are any of you in wales? DS hasn't heard anything yet.

SecretSquirrels · 08/09/2015 19:24

DS had the Men C last year but the reason for introducing this one is the increase in cases of Men W among teenagers. This is why I want him to have it. The Men C jab won't protect against Men W.
It's only cost that prevents the NHS from vaccinating all 17 to 24 year olds, rather than just sixth formers and first year students.
It's not a new vaccine but was previously only used for travel to middle east.

Horsemad · 08/09/2015 19:27

DS had his last week, no side effects.

stonecircle · 08/09/2015 19:31

Lolimax - I'm not sure we would have heard anything by now, but I just rang up the surgery as soon as all the publicity hit and made an appointment.

I was motivated by a couple of heartbreaking stories in the media of young people who had contracted MeningitisW and lost their lives.

Horsemad · 08/09/2015 20:05

Our practice nurse mentioned it to me in May/June when DS was having travel vaccs.

Doilooklikeatourist · 08/09/2015 20:06

loli were in Wales , we had a letter and there's was an afternoon session for all those eligible ( see above , school reunion )

Original poster
bigbluebus · 08/09/2015 20:12

Loli We didn't get a letter even though the surgery said they were sending them out and DS is in the target group. I just got him to phone the surgery and book the appointment as I didn't want him to have it too close to going away in case he had a reaction. Wise move, as it has turned out.

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bruffin · 08/09/2015 21:05

I think they are supposed to have it two weeks before they go. My ds is a fresher but a year older so booked as soon as we heard about it. However the nurse told him after his they only had 6 doses and they hadnt sent the letters out yet. That was end of august so hopeful they have got more in.

Cooroo · 08/09/2015 21:18

Dd booked hers, actually turned up at 9.30am(!) and was turned away because she's on antibiotics. Sigh.

MossAgate · 08/09/2015 21:47

I just rang one of the Meningitus helplines and they confirmed that my dc should have the vaccine, but the health centre is saying the opposite.

Helpline person confirmed that even if she had the Men C booster last year it doesn't matter, she should still have this one to protect against the W strain.

Back to the heath centre again tomorrow. Not sure what to do if they refuse.

MossAgate · 08/09/2015 21:49

There are supply issues too so we may struggle to get one.

Katkat50 · 08/09/2015 22:10

DS had it last week... Had a sore throat, achey legs and felt flu-y... Lasted a couple of days, but back to normal now....