Meningitis symptoms and vaccines: Why are young people at risk?

One young person has died and two others are being treated following a meningitis outbreak in Reading, the UK Health Security Agency has confirmed. The UKHSA said its specialists are "working with local authority and NHS partners following three cases of meningococcal infection", with one case confirmed as the meningitis B strain. Meningitis is an infection of the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, usually caused by bacterial or viral infection. It can affect anyone but is more common in babies, children, teenagers and young adults. Young people are particularly at risk because one in four 15 to 19-year-olds carry meningococcal bacteria in their throats, compared with one in 10 of the UK population. The bacteria can be passed through coughing, sneezing and kissing. Symptoms include high temperature, vomiting, confusion, muscle pain, rash, headache, stiff neck and aversion to bright lights. The NHS warns symptoms can appear in any order and some may not appear at all. Vaccines are available, including the menB jab for babies and the MenACWY vaccine for teenagers. However, Professor Andrew Preston from University of Bath said uptake among teenagers was only 73%, meaning "there are a lot of unvaccinated students given the size of the student cohort". The NHS recommends calling 999 immediately if meningitis is suspected, as patients can deteriorate very quickly without treatment. Read the full story here: Reading meningitis outbreak leaves one dead with two more being treated