Calls for meningitis B vaccine to be rolled out at schools following death of North Yorkshire teenager
Livia Wilson was just 19 years old when she died
A North Yorkshire Mum's campaigning for teenagers to be given a Meningitis B vaccine at school - after the death of her daughter.
On 15 June 2022 Livia Wilson felt unwell and was sent home from work. She complained of a bad headache and she took a couple of paracetamols and went to bed. Devastatingly, she never woke up again.
We've been speaking to her Mum Alison Goude: "She'd been at the festival at the weekend, come back, then went back straight into work, worked a couple of long shifts and the day she went in, she got sent home. She wasn't feeling well and went to bed early, she said herself she'd do a COVID test the next day, so it shows what she was thinking, and she just never woke"
"It took a while to find out, but we found out it was meningitis. I've since found out that there is this secondary peak in teenagers and younger adults. I was fully aware as a baby that they were at a high risk, but I wasn't aware of this secondary high risk in this age group. If I knew that and I knew that there was a vaccination and if she had had it, she could still be here. So I just want people to know so it doesn't happen to them.
"Livia's younger sister Layla, she's 15. The other year, she had her meningitis vaccination at school. It didn't cover meningitis B. I think it's not really that clear that doesn't cover all the strains of meningitis.
Meningitis B, I believe is the one that with there is more cases of and currently you can only get it privately. But it's just to make you aware, really, that they are a higher risk of meningitis being in this age group. The vaccination's there, but unfortunately at the minute you have to get it privately, but I would like that to change and to be rolled out at school like the other meningitis vaccination.
What do the Government say?
Dr Andrew Lee, Regional Deputy Director UKHSA Yorkshire & the Humber, said: “MenB is a rare, but terrible disease and this is yet another devastating reminder of how serious it can be. Our thoughts are with Livia Wilson’s family.
“Based on expert advice from the independent Joint Committee of Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), Government decide which groups are eligible for free NHS vaccines. National surveillance data shows a much higher incidence of group B meningococcal disease in infants compared to teenagers. Unlike the Men ACWY vaccine, MenB vaccine has been shown to have no effect on carriage and will therefore, not provide population (herd) protection.
“As with all vaccine programmes, the JCVI will keep the programme under constant review.
“Early recognition of meningitis and septicaemia symptoms, which can include a fever, headache, rapid breathing, drowsiness, shivering, vomiting and cold hands and feet, can greatly improve the outcome of the disease and so anyone concerned about any of these symptoms, at any time, should contact their GP immediately or call NHS 111.”