Meningitis B vaccinations calls after Pontypool student, 18, dies

A popular and sporty teenager who made a “big impression” at her new university has died just weeks after starting her studies from meningitis.

Meg Draper was 18 and had joined swimming and netball teams, but died in October from meningococcal type B (MenB) meningitis while studying physiotherapy at Bournemouth.

Her parents, from Pontypool, Torfaen and the UK National Union of Students, are now calling for a vaccine, or booster shot, to be made available to young adults in the NHS.

The MenB vaccine – the only protection against the bacteria, which accounts for 82.6% of meningitis cases in the UK – is only available on the NHS for young children, as they are considered most at risk. This protects for a few years, and for older children a booster or vaccine costs around £220 privately.

⁠ While MenB is described as “rare” in those over four, there is a second, less common peak among adolescents – which has led to calls for older children to also receive the vaccine routinely.

The Welsh Government is following advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunization (JCVI), which concluded in 2014 that a routine vaccine for young adults was “not cost-effective”.

Meg was vaccinated against meningitis A, C, W and Y, and her parents said it was “horrible” to discover that a separate MenB vaccine existed.

The boss of the charity Meningitis Now called it a “tragedy” because young people are not being systematically protected with the product.

Meg’s mother Helen Draper said they would have paid £220 to have her vaccinated privately “in a heartbeat”, adding: “We have spoken to hundreds of people who have contacted us and we have yet to find a single person who knew about it.

“They are in the same situation as us.

“It really scared us because at first we thought we had dropped the ball, that we had missed something.”

Meningitis is swelling of the meninges, the tissues surrounding the brain and spinal cord, and is usually caused by a bacterial infection.

University students are particularly at risk because they are around many new people and the bacteria that causes meningitis are spread the same way as the common cold, through sneezing and coughing.

Inspired by treating an injury she suffered days before competing in the Wales under-17 netball team, Meg landed in what her parents called the “dream” place at Bournemouth University, where she studied physiotherapy.

Her mother described her as “sporty, gregarious, outgoing, really charismatic and talkative,” adding: “She loved being around people and people really loved being around her.

“She had this joy of life that was irresistible. We were in awe of her.”

Meg got on well with her housemates and enjoyed the social side of university, joining swimming and netball teams.

But one night she told her parents she was feeling lethargic. Within 24 hours, her symptoms, including fever, headache, vomiting and a rash on her stomach, worsened and she went to the hospital.

She died a few days later.

Her mother said Meg was vaccinated at age 14, during the coronavirus lockdown, against the A, C, W and Y strains of meningitis.

Mrs Draper and her husband Lee thought this meant their daughter was protected against all types of meningitis, including MenB.

“The way it was presented to us was that it was a meningitis vaccine, we didn’t know there was another one,” the 45-year-old said.

Meg had made lots of friends, with her mother adding: “Even at his funeral they had to fly them all in from Bournemouth.

“To think she was only there for five weeks, but with the number of friends she had at college, we couldn’t forget how much of an impact she had made in such a short time.”

Meningitis is caused by different types of bacteria, viruses, fungi and other pathogens, and the main bacterial strains include meningococci types A, B, C, W, X and Y.

It can affect anyone, but is most common in babies, young children, adolescents and young adults.

This can cause life-threatening sepsis and lead to permanent brain or nerve damage.

Over the past year, MenB accounted for 82.6% (313 of 378) of all cases, followed by MenW (43, 11.3%), MenY (13, 3.4%) and MenC (0.8%), according to UK government figures.

Babies are at high risk of contracting MenB because they do not have immune protection against antibodies, with the disease rare in those over four years old.

Teenagers are more likely to carry the bacteria in their throats than other age groups, which is why there is this second, smaller peak of illness in this age group.

The MenB vaccine is offered to babies in three doses by the NHS, at eight weeks, 12 weeks and one year. If a child has missed one of the vaccines, they can still receive it on the NHS until the age of two.

Symptoms include severe headache, high temperature and rash.

With early diagnosis and antibiotic treatment, many people will make a full recovery.

Around one in four survivors are left with long-term problems, such as amputation, deafness, epilepsy and learning difficulties.

“We can’t bring Meg back to life, but what we can be sure of is that her death was not in vain,” Ms Draper said.

“For us, his legacy is everything.”

They want more awareness among parents and for the MenB vaccine to be available to young adults on the NHS.

The Welsh Government bases its vaccination policy on the recommendations of the JCVI and implements them through NHS Wales.

“The JCVI advises all UK governments on vaccination and immunization matters, including eligibility, safety and vaccination schedules,” a spokesperson added.

Chief executive of the charity Meningitis Now, Dr Tom Nutt, said MenB can be fatal for up to one in ten people affected, adding that “when it hits, it can kill within 24 hours”.

“The fact that there is a MenB vaccine that could protect this group of young adults, we think is a bit of a tragedy,” he added.

“Prevention is better than cure, it is far better to protect to help live healthy lives, to help keep families together and avoid the pain of bereavement and disability caused by meningitis.

“It’s a good investment to keep people healthy and save lives.”

A spokesperson for the UK National Union of Students said there was “simply not enough awareness” for young people starting university, adding that the NHS should offer the vaccine.

“While we all expect the inevitable newcomer flu, there are also deadly virus strains circulating that students need to be protected against and aware of,” they said.

“The Meningitis B vaccine should be offered by the NHS – there should never be a financial barrier to life-saving vaccines.

“And until then, universities and colleges themselves should consider offering it to their students, because no lives should be lost to preventable infection.”

They added that any Bournemouth University students affected by the news should contact the students’ union for support.

A Bournemouth University spokesperson said Meg “made a big impression” and “her loss was deeply felt”.

“We educate all of our students before they join us on how to get vaccinated against meningitis strains and send them reminders throughout the year,” they said.

“Our advice emphasizes that they should seek immediate medical attention if they have symptoms, even if they have been vaccinated.”

The university holds weekly walk-in clinics on campus for MenA, C, W and Y strains.

The UK Health Security Agency and local health teams have said on-campus activities may continue and the risk of transmission is low.

Meg’s close contacts were offered antibiotics to prevent the infection from spreading.