Is it overkill to ask early visitors if they have had meningitis vaccine?

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Due to give birth within the next week and the stuff in the news about meningitis spreading at a crazy rate is obviously concerning.

Is it unreasonable to ask those early visitors to confirm they’ve been vaccinated? Aka close family who want to travel to see baby within the first few weeks?

Fully prepared to be told if this is silly… it’s my first baby so I don’t really know, hence looking to hear how other mums to be are feeling about it.

Proabably overthinking but it doesn’t hurt to be safe. Firstly, are in Kent or SE London. Secondly, are you or potential visitors mixing with older teens or young adults/students. If none of the above, I’d be carrying on as normal.

It’s unlikely that visitors will have had the MenB vaccine (the outbreak is meningitis b), as it’s only been given to babies since 2015, so unless very young or they’ve had it privately most people aren’t vaccinated.

Would you be OK with not having any visitors in the first weeks? It would be very unusual for anyone over the age of 10 to have had the vaccination.

Thanks @Overthebow I didn’t realise this

@FoxtrotSkarloey the particular family members i am worried about are not Kent but a neighbouring county and have older teenagers.

I feel silly as i didn’t realise almost nobody would have had the vaccine. I think I was getting confused with the MMR one we all got given.

clearly I don’t understand my vaccines!

Ah well - you will have your lovely baby soon and will learn all about the vaccine schedule soon enough! My main thing would be to insist that visitors are 100% well, and don't turn up with colds / sore throats etc. you would think it is common sense, but apparently not....

Never silly to ask about something. We can't know everything.

Just ask that visitors are well and wash hands before holding baby.

Enjoy your little bundle!

NHS guidelines for a variety of health reasons is for visitors not to kiss newborn babies, do implement that. And ask visitors to stay away if they feel unwell

The good news is that your baby will get the meningitis B vaccine

As PPs have said, it's really unlikely that most people will have been vaccinated. That said, I don't think you're being unreasonable to take precautions- I'd be honest with your potential visitors that the outbreak is worrying you and ask that they don't visit if they're feeling at all under the weather. I'd hope anyone could understand that concern and act accordingly!

Actually we weren’t all given the MMR either as it didn’t start until late 80s.

I don’t think this is silly at all all OP, particularly given a baby who has had the vaccination is currently very ill in hospital. I’ve read that they’re currently testing to ascertain if it’s a new strain of Men B that has vaccine resistance. I would be very cautious.

@preggo39 Men B vaccine doesn’t cover all variants of Men B, which I think is one of the reasons they don’t think it is cost effective to vaccinate all teenagers

Very few of your visitors will have had any meningitis vaccines. Meningitis C vaccine was introduced in 1999, then Meningitis B was introduced for babies in 2015, alongside a switch to Meningitis ACWY for teenagers.

Just ensure any visitors are 100% well - ensure they wash their hands and no face kissing of the baby.

I thought a vaccine only stops a person from getting seriously ill. You can still get infected and carry around the bacteria to pass on.

Are they visiting from Kent?

I think you are being wise.

They can see baby over zoom.

I hope you're joking

I’d focus on making sure any visitors are healthy, and under no circumstances do they kiss your baby or their hands (babies put hands in their mouths).
My Step-Mum is the sort of person to turn up and say “I won’t hold her for long as I’ve got a stinking cold”… like get the fuck off my baby then?!

It’s £110 in my area so I doubt many people would have had it off their own back prior to this outbreak

As above make sure they are well if visiting.

And any kids are up to date with their vaccs.

Your baby will be offered vaccs that include men B when they are around 8 weeks old. After that it's just the lack of MMR that will cause worry.

Don't worry I did the exact same thought the mmr was meningitis

Yes 100% unreasonable. Meningitis cannot be spread by short contact and you need to consider that some people are more vulnerable to vaccine reactions than the disease itself. I speak from experience, every vaccine I have had has landed me in hospital - my sister almost died as a child from vaccine reactions. I would not take the risk of taking a vaccine and it's unreasonable to assume that everyone is able too.. if you're that worried about your child I would not have visitors at all until you feel comfortable.

None of them will have unless they were born after 2015 or are over 65, if I’m correct about the current NHS schedule.

I understand your worry. Apparently stocks are low now as they’ve all been sent to Kent.