Teenagers in England are set to be offered a vaccine against the deadly Meningitis W strain, following a dramatic increase in cases. Just 22 people contracted the disease in 2009, but that number rose to 117 last year—an increase of over 400 per cent.
Health officials are now planning to roll out an immunisation programme in a bid to stop the disease from spreading further. The vaccine will target teenagers, who are considered at higher risk.
The announcement comes as a mother and daughter, Tracey and Emily Saunders, shared their tragic story. Their son and brother, Edward, died after contracting Meningitis W. They hope the new vaccination programme will prevent other families from suffering a similar loss.
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