A grieving father has paid tribute to his 'kind-hearted' son after the teenager died from meningitis, becoming one of three cases in a local outbreak.
Lewis Waters, a student at Henley College in Oxfordshire, developed sepsis 'within a few hours of feeling ill', according to his father Sean Waters. In a heartfelt social media post, Mr Waters expressed his devastation.
'Words simply can't describe the heartbreak and upset we're going through,' he wrote. 'He fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team, but they just couldn't save him. We are absolutely devastated.'
Describing his son as 'funny, sociable and kind-hearted', Mr Waters said Lewis 'loved his sisters, friends and family dearly'. He added: 'Life won't be the same for many of us now that he's gone.'
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) confirmed that two other meningitis patients are pupils at Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre. Close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution.
Henley College expressed condolences, stating: 'Our thoughts and sincere condolences are with the student's family and friends at this extremely difficult time. We are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency.'
Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: 'We understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student. Students and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.'
The UKHSA confirmed that tests show the infection is not the same strain of meningitis B linked to a fatal outbreak in Kent in March. Information about meningitis signs has been shared with parents and students at all affected schools.
Symptoms include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain, and a rash that does not fade under pressure. Dr Mearkle stressed: 'Anyone can get meningitis, with around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease diagnosed in England every year. It's most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults. It needs to be treated quickly, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms. They can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.'
The menB vaccine has been offered routinely to babies as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme since 2015. Anyone born before then will not be protected. The earlier outbreak in Kent led to two deaths and thousands receiving the menB jab or antibiotics.
Freddie van Mierlo, Liberal Democrat MP for Henley and Thame, called for a wider catch-up vaccination programme. He said: 'Naturally, there's worry in the community given what happened in Kent very recently, but as of yet, all the advice from the medical authorities is that this is contained. I think what we need to now look at, given what happened in Kent, and now here in Henley, is a wider catch-up vaccination programme. We have a cohort of young adults at university and at colleges like this who've never been vaccinated against meningitis B, who I think now need to be protected. That's very clear. So, what I'm asking the Government to do is look at procuring a large number of vaccines and rolling that out as soon as possible.'
Alex Stanley, vice president of the National Union of Students, added: 'There should never be a cost barrier to lifesaving vaccines, and we need to see the Government offer the meningitis B vaccine to all young people on the NHS.'
A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: 'We asked the JCVI for an updated recommendation based on the latest evidence on Meningococcal B – including following the outbreak in Canterbury. The JCVI is carrying out a review of eligibility for routine MenB vaccination and will provide a further update and advice to the department in due course. The UK has a world-leading national immunisation programme which is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing nature of infectious diseases and provide the best protection and outcomes for the public.'
