'I would fear for my life without meningitis jab'

Students have said they would fear for their lives if they had not been given a free meningitis B vaccine.

Earlier this year two people died during the UK's largest and fastest growing outbreak of the disease in Kent.

Students in their first year of university have a seven times higher risk of contracting it according to the NHS, which on Monday began rolling out a free vaccine programme to one million 17 and 18-year-olds.

Jack Winspear, 18, from Suffolk was one of the first to get the vaccine in the East of England and said it had given him "peace of mind".

"It was a bit scary," he said of when he saw the news of the outbreak in Kent back in the spring.

"Obviously we had Covid a few years ago and you never know, it could have been the next sort of outbreak."

Winspear studies at East Coast College in Lowestoft and hoped to do a level three mechanics course at West Suffolk College next year.

He visited Day Lewis Pharmacy in Felixstowe on Monday to get the first of two doses of the vaccine.

"I saw about the outbreak, and I thought it could be fatal if I don't have the jab," he continued.

"I got offered it from the NHS for free, so thought I might as well have it. It's just a bit of peace of mind."

Alyssa, 17, who is hoping to study medicine at Newcastle University later this year, was also receiving her first vaccine at the pharmacy.

"You saw in the news people my age were dying, doing A-Levels," she said of the Kent outbreak. "It's not something I want to be at risk of in the future."

She said that as she planned to move into halls, she was even more certain she wanted the vaccine and thought it would be "wise" for others her age to get it.

"I think it gives you peace of mind for the future and it is something so simple for something that is quite severe if you do get meningitis B," she continued.

"I think it's a no brainer."

Alyssa's mother Julia, who first saw that the vaccine was going to be offered to young people, sent an online link to her daughter suggesting she booked in.

"When you see children Alyssa's age, it doesn't bear thinking about," she said of the outbreak in Kent.

She added: "I just feel like it's absolutely worth getting... I needed to know that she's covered and she'll be safe."

Sarah Cavanagh, the public health pharmacist for NHS England in the East of England, anticipated that about 200,000 people in the region were eligible for the vaccine.

In England it is estimated that one million young people are eligible.

She said 1,500 vaccines were booked in the region on the first day with around 7,000 for the rest of the week.

In addition, 90% of pharmacies were taking part in the rollout, which she said would give people flexibility in where they get their jabs.

"We've been really pleased with the uptake so far," Cavanagh said. "I think people are keen.

"We were all frightened by what we watched on the news when we had the outbreak in Kent and the two other areas, so I'm anticipating that the uptake will be good."

Rutendo Munetsi, a pharmacist at Day Lewis Pharmacy, said its meningitis B vaccine appointments were already fully booked.

"It is a very real, big threat and it's life threatening, so it has to be contained as soon as possible," she said.

"[The jab is] very expensive, but you cannot put a price to a life so it has to definitely be done."

Walk-in vaccines at a pharmacy are available for those born on or after 21 July 2001 starting university for the first time this autumn or starting at a further education college as a residential student.

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