Meningitis outbreak

I suspect that unfortunately we're going to be hearing an awful lot about this

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c7432klgyldo explains the symptoms to look out for. I did see something on twitter about the symptoms and someone pointed out that if you're black (I'm white) you may not see the rash. It was also pointed out that the rash may appear in less obvious places like the armpits

I understand that now there's cases in London as well as Kent

I’m in the area, people are panicking.
Lots of businesses taking it very seriously. Closing or enforcing PPE.
Good hand hygiene and not sharing drinks, vapes etc will help to reduce it and if you have been in contact with someone or in the areas highlighted, getting precautionary antibiotics.

If people recognise symptoms, it’s best to get checked before the rash appears because that is when sepsis has really kicked in and loss of limbs/death is more likely.

Thank you for making the thread.
Sometimes the rash is also the last thing to appear so helpful to know the signs to look for.
I work in a school and the panic has been real I text my boss yday and asked “would you tell us if it was in the school” we’ve lost students to previous illnesses and really worries me.

I wonder why there has suddenly been a resurgence of this type of meningitis? It was rife when I was a teen in the 90’s and into the early 00’s, there was an outbreak at my FE college and a young lad died. We were all offered a vaccination which I remember having. I also remember my mum dragging me out of bed to see the GP when I was really ill because she thought I might have it. We were all aware of the symptoms as well, the headache, stiff neck, aversion to bright lights and the rash. I thought kids were now routinely vaxed against it?

I remember getting re-vaccinated about 9 years ago, I went to my GP for some travel vaccinations and he offered me a booster (I was a uni student at that point). I was also brought up with my Mum panicking whenever I got a rash as a kid.

It is worrying as my brother is of student age and mixes with his friends at college.

I used to know someone whose baby caught and died of meningitis B. I believe she was part of the campaign to get the vaccination in the early 2010s

Gym&Tonic said:

I wonder why there has suddenly been a resurgence of this type of meningitis? It was rife when I was a teen in the 90’s and into the early 00’s, there was an outbreak at my FE college and a young lad died. We were all offered a vaccination which I remember having. I also remember my mum dragging me out of bed to see the GP when I was really ill because she thought I might have it. We were all aware of the symptoms as well, the headache, stiff neck, aversion to bright lights and the rash. I thought kids were now routinely vaxed against it?

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Only babies born after 2015 got the Meningitis B vaccine unfortunately Apparently it wasn't 'cost effective' to offer it to older children! I would argue that surely it's common sense to at least offer it to 18 year olds who are going to university, where it spreads more easily because of students living in halls together and going to clubs and so on. I understand the vaccine doesn't protect against all strains though.

This explains more:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3rzg0vg947o?app-referrer=deep-link

My heart goes out to Meg Draper's parents (she died not in this current outbreak, but last October). They thought their daughter was starting uni fully vaccinated against meningitis, and only found out that a meningitis b vaccine existed after she died. If you ask me, even small numbers of clearly preventable deaths are too many.

Its so scary you also think of any of these students decide to leave the uni and go home could easily spread to other parts of the country I see this getting out of hand very fast

I’ve looked into getting my almost 14 year old vaccinated privately and I can’t get an appointment. It offered me one weeks away the other day but now nothing which is understandable.