The father of a college student who died after contracting meningitis has paid tribute to his “funny, sociable, kind-hearted” son. Lewis Waters, who attended Henley College in Oxfordshire, was one of three cases reported in the outbreak, which also includes two school pupils in Reading.
In a social media post, his father Sean Waters wrote: “Words simply can’t describe the heartbreak and upset we’re going through.” He said Lewis developed sepsis “within a few hours of feeling ill”. “He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team, but they just couldn’t save him,” Mr Waters wrote. “We are absolutely devastated.”
He described his son as “funny, sociable and kind-hearted”, adding that he “loved his sisters, friends and family dearly”. “Life won’t be the same for many of us now that he’s gone,” he said.
Other cases and response
On Friday, it emerged that the other two patients being treated for meningitis are pupils at separate schools in the area – Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution.
A statement from Henley College said its “thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student’s family and friends at this extremely difficult time”. “We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency,” it added.
Reading Blue Coat School headmaster Pete Thomas said it has been working closely with UKHSA. “We recognise that this is a concerning time for families and the wider community,” he said. “We are deeply saddened by the news of the death of a student at another local school, and our thoughts are with their family, as well as with all those affected during this difficult time.”
Health officials reassure public
Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: “We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student. Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.”
The agency also confirmed that tests show the infection is not the same strain of meningitis B linked to a fatal outbreak in Kent in March. UKHSA said information has been shared with parents and students at all affected schools about the signs of meningitis.
Symptoms can include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain and a rash that does not fade under pressure. Dr Mearkle stressed that “anyone can get meningitis”, with around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease diagnosed in England every year. “It’s most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults,” she said. “It needs to be treated quickly, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.”
Vaccination call
The menB vaccine has been offered routinely to babies as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme since 2015. Anyone born before then will not be protected. The outbreak in Kent earlier this year led to the deaths of two people and resulted in thousands being given the menB jab or antibiotics in a bid to curb the spread.
Freddie van Mierlo, Liberal Democrat MP for Henley and Thame, called on the Government to explore the possibility of a wider catch-up vaccination programme. He told the Press Association: “Naturally, there’s worry in the community given what happened in Kent very recently, but as of yet, all the advice from the medical authorities is that this is contained, and that we should continue as normal, and so people are continuing about as normal as they should.”
“I think what we need to now look at, given what happened in Kent, and now here in Henley, is a wider catch-up vaccination programme. We have a cohort of young, young adults at university and at colleges like this who’ve never been vaccinated against meningitis B, who I think now need to be protected. That’s very clear. So, what I’m asking the Government to do is look at procuring a large number of vaccines and rolling that out as soon as possible.”
Alex Stanley, vice president of the National Union of Students, said: “There should never be a cost barrier to lifesaving vaccines, and we need to see the Government offer the meningitis B vaccine to all young people on the NHS.”
