Call for more meningitis vaccines after teen dies
Summary
A teenage boy named Lewis Waters from Oxfordshire died after contracting meningitis B, sparking calls for wider meningitis vaccination for teenagers and young adults. Health officials and a charity are reviewing current vaccine policies and encouraging people to stay up to date with available meningitis vaccines.Key Facts
- Lewis Waters, a sixth-form student at The Henley College, died from meningitis B.
- Two other teenagers in Reading are being treated for meningitis, with one confirmed case of meningitis B.
- The charity Meningitis Now is urging the government to expand meningitis B vaccination to teenagers and young adults.
- Meningitis B vaccines are not currently given routinely to teenagers on the NHS due to cost concerns.
- The UK Health Security Agency found a social connection between Lewis and the other infected teens, and close contacts are receiving antibiotics as a precaution.
- Approximately 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease occur in England annually, mostly affecting babies, children, and young adults.
- The NHS offers a meningitis ACWY vaccine free to people up to age 25, but it does not protect against meningitis B.
- The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is reviewing whether to change the eligibility for routine meningitis B vaccination.
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