The chief executive of a meningitis charity has called for a wider rollout of the meningitis B vaccine following the death of a college student in Oxfordshire.
Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now, told the BBC that young lives are “precious” and we should do “everything” we can to protect them. He added: “The argument against the introduction of the MenB vaccination for teenagers and young adults is actually around cost-effectiveness. The lives of teenagers and young adults are too precious and it is tragic to see yet another death.”
His comments come a day after it was confirmed that Lewis Waters, who attended Henley College in Oxfordshire, had died after contracting meningitis. The student was one of three cases reported in the outbreak, which also includes two school pupils in Reading.
Dr Nutt said that it is known that the vaccine is “safe” and “effective”, but added: “The trouble is it’s an expensive vaccine.” According to the broadcaster, he has called upon the government to consider the wider benefits that could come from rolling the MenB vaccination out further. “Health is an asset that we really must protect,” Dr Nutt said.
In a social media post shared on Friday, Lewis’s father Sean Waters paid tribute to his son and 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”, adding: “He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team, but they just couldn’t save him. We are absolutely devastated.” He described his son as “funny, sociable and kind-hearted”, adding “Life won’t be the same for many of us now that he’s gone.”
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”. Reading Blue Coat School headmaster Pete Thomas said it has been working closely with UKHSA.
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. The UKHSA said that information has been shared with the 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.
The MenB vaccine has been offered routinely to babies as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme since 2015. 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: “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.”
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: “We asked the JCVI for an updated recommendation based on the latest evidence on Meningococcal B – including following the outbreak in Canterbury. The JCVI is carrying out a review of eligibility for routine MenB vaccination and will provide a further update and advice to the department in due course. The UK has a world-leading national immunisation programme which is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing nature of infectious diseases and provide the best protection and outcomes for the public.”
