UPDATE: Parents of 18-year-old Meg Draper are urgently calling for the NHS to offer a life-saving vaccine after their daughter tragically died from a preventable infection. Meg, a vibrant university student studying physiotherapy, succumbed to meningococcal type B meningitis (MenB) in October, just days after exhibiting initial symptoms.
This heartbreaking loss underscores a critical gap in public health: the MenB vaccine is currently unavailable to young adults despite them being at heightened risk. Meg’s parents, Helen and her husband, are devastated, believing their daughter would still be alive had the vaccine been offered to her age group. The family is now joining forces with the National Union of Students to advocate for policy changes.
MenB infections can be prevented with a highly effective vaccine, typically administered to children at 8 weeks, 12 weeks, and 1 year old. The UK’s vaccination program has successfully reduced MenB cases by 62 percent. However, it does not extend to adults, especially those aged 16 to 25, the second most vulnerable group after young children. University students, particularly first-year freshers, face increased risks due to social interactions.
Helen Draper revealed to the BBC that she and her husband would have eagerly paid the £220 fee to privately receive the vaccine, but were completely unaware of its availability. “We have spoken to hundreds of people who have reached out and we’re yet to find a single person that was aware,” she stated. This lack of awareness is alarming, as many families could be in the same situation.
Despite being vaccinated against other types of meningitis—A, C, W, and Y—Meg was not given the MenB vaccine, as the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) decided in 2014 that a routine jab for young adults was not cost-effective. Tragically, Meg displayed symptoms including fever, headache, and vomiting before her untimely death.
Helen described her daughter as having a “zest for life” and noted that even during her brief time at university, she made a profound impact. “Even at her funeral, they had to coach-load them all up from Bournemouth. To think, she was only there for five weeks, but the amount of friends she had at university—we couldn’t get over how impactful she’d been in such a short space of time,” she said.
This urgent call to action aims to ensure that no other family endures this unimaginable loss. The Drapers are pushing for policy changes to make the MenB vaccine readily available to young adults, highlighting the importance of preventive health measures.
As new reports emerge, the family hopes to raise awareness and push for immediate action from health authorities. This situation serves as a poignant reminder for students and young adults to educate themselves about available vaccinations, potentially saving lives in the future.
Stay updated for more developments on this pressing health issue.
