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Following the recent death of a teenage boy in Oxfordshire due to meningitis, a charity has advocated for an expansion of meningitis vaccination programs. Lewis Waters, a student at The Henley College, passed away earlier this week after contracting the disease. In addition to Lewis, two other students—one from Reading Blue Coat School and another from Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre in Reading—are currently being treated for meningitis.
Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of the charity Meningitis Now, emphasized the importance of protecting young lives, stating, “Young lives are really precious and we should do everything we can to protect them.” Currently, the NHS routine immunization schedule does not provide the meningitis B (MenB) vaccine to teenagers and young adults. The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) confirmed that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) is reviewing the criteria for MenB vaccine eligibility. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) noted that one of the recent cases has been confirmed as MenB, with further tests pending for the other two.
Dr Nutt addressed the economic arguments often cited against extending the MenB vaccination, highlighting that “the lives of teenagers and young adults are too precious and it is tragic to see yet another death.” He pointed out that since the introduction of the MenB vaccine for infants, there has been about a 75% reduction in disease in that age group, demonstrating the vaccine’s safety and effectiveness, although it remains costly. He urged government consideration of the broader benefits vaccination could bring to families, society, and the economy, adding, “Health is an asset that we really must protect.”
The UKHSA reported that they have identified a social network linking Lewis and the other two infected young people. As a precaution, close contacts of all three individuals are receiving antibiotics. The health agency stated that the overall risk to the wider public remains low. Dr Nutt acknowledged the swift response by UKHSA to administer antibiotics and expressed reassurance about the measures taken, but he also cautioned the public to stay vigilant, noting meningitis “can strike anyone at any time.” Each year, around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease are diagnosed in England, with babies, young children, teenagers, and young adults being the most vulnerable. The UKHSA encourages young people to ensure they are up to date with vaccinations, including the MenACWY vaccine which is offered to pupils in Years 9 and 10 and is available free of charge on the NHS for those up to 25 years old—although it does not protect against all strains of meningitis, such as MenB
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