Chief Executive of meningitis charity urges government to roll out vaccine programme further

The chief executive of a meningitis charity has said that “prevention is the right way to go” as he urged the Government to roll out the vaccination programme further.

Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said the organisation has long believed that the vaccine should be given to all teenagers and young adults.

His comments come a day after it emerged that college student Lewis Waters had died after contracting the disease.

Lewis was one of three cases reported in the recent outbreak, which also includes two school pupils in Reading.

Dr Nutt told said that the charity launched a campaign in April 2024 entitled 'No Plan B for MenB' to try to raise awareness of the importance of the vaccine.

He said: “It’s a devastating disease, and it takes precious young lives away.

“Teenagers and young adults…are the second most at-risk group of meningitis in the population, after babies.

“And for many years we’ve seen deaths and devastation in this age group, when students or sixth formers are killed by the disease or left with life-changing aftereffects.”

He said that when the disease occurs with sepsis, meningitis can cause limb loss as well as sensory impairments and brain injury.

Dr Nutt referred to the outbreaks in Kent and Reading, adding: “It comes out of the blue, it’s devastating for communities as well as those people and those families affected, and we think prevention is the right way to go, and there are vaccines that can help to prevent the disease.”

He said that it is known that the vaccine to prevent menB works, but said that it is expensive which, he suspects, is why it has not been rolled out further.

He continued: “Giving this menB vaccination to teenage and young adults has, in the past, been judged to not be cost-effective, and it is because it is an expensive vaccine, and you know meningitis is a relatively rare disease.

“Our problem with that position is that we don’t think when the Government, or when the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation) rather, looks at that cost-effectiveness, it’s really taking into account the whole cost.”

He added that those at the charity know just how “devastating” the disease can be, adding that it has an “economic effect on people as they have their lives disrupted”.

“It disrupts people’s education, so you know it can affect people’s whole lives,” he added.

“People have to become carers for loved ones, or it impacts their mental health, or their psychological health through bereavement.”

He said meningitis has a “ripple effect” which then has an economic cost.

Dr Nutt said that the Kent outbreak in March brought into focus how “potentially vulnerable” young people are to the disease.

He added: “We have got a safe and we’ve got an effective vaccine – we just think it should be deployed now.”

Asked what advice he would give to young people, Dr Nutt said: “Our advice is to be vigilant and to be aware of the risks of meningitis.

“So people don’t need to panic.

“It is a relatively rare disease, but when it strikes, it strikes very rapidly, and it can strike with devastating consequences.”

He said young people need to know the signs and symptoms of meningitis and when to call for medical help. He said they should access all the vaccines available to them on the NHS.

In a social media post on Friday, Lewis’ 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.”

He said his son was “funny, sociable and kind-hearted”, and “loved his sisters, friends and family dearly”, 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 UKHSA said close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution.

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.

Olivier Picard, chairman of the National Pharmacy Association, which represents about 6,000 independent community pharmacies, said: “The JCVI should urgently publish its recommendations for menB vaccinations and whether this should be extended to teenagers and young adults, in light of these recent outbreaks.

“It is clear there is a potential gap in our vaccination strategy and delaying publication slows down any potential NHS roll-out, which pharmacies stand ready to support.

“The NHS should also use pharmacies to provide a catch-up programme for the quarter of young people who have missed their vaccinations at school.”

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