Meningitis 'confusion' warning

Thousands of young people have been vaccinated

Parents and students are being warned to be on their guard following an increase in the number of cases of a potentially lethal strain of meningitis.

Health charity The Meningitis Research Foundation says some families whose children have been vaccinated against the C strain are lulled into a false sense of security that this gives protection against the more virulent B strain.

The foundation - which is based in Thornbury, near Bristol - is also concerned that young people who have been vaccinated against meningitis are also confused.

The jab which young people received in the recent inoculation programme protects only against the C strain of the disease.

Julia Warren: Be aware of all the symptoms

Julia Warren from the MRF said the charity, based at Thornbury, near Bristol, has noticed many people are confused.

"A lot of parents believe that once children have been vaccinated against group C meningitis, it protects them against all forms of meningitis and septicaemia," she said.

"That's not the case and they still need to be aware of all the signs and symptoms so they can act quickly and get medical help."

Since the vaccination scheme, outbreaks of the C bacteria have gone down by 80%.

But latest figures for the B strain show a sharp rise.

In the first six months of this year there have been 1056 cases in the UK.

There were 986 in the same period last year and just 589 in 1997.

Lack of awareness

The MRF has recently started a survey of students and their awareness of the illness.

From the first 100 responses, one in four thought that having the C strain vaccination would protect them from other strains of the disease.

There are three strains of meningococcal meningitis, A, B, and C.

Vaccines are available for both type C and type A.

Meningitis C accounts for around 40% of cases.

Main symptoms of meningitis

Rash

Stiff neck

Headache

Fever

Drowsiness

Dislike of bright lights

Scientists are working on a vaccine for meningitis B, but it is years away from being publicly available.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the brain lining and is mostly caused by bacteria and viruses.

A stiff neck and a purplish rash are key signs of the disease.

If meningococcal meningitis is caught early, it can be treated with antibiotics.

The majority of patients survive, but experts think around an eighth of patients suffer temporary after-effects.

These include brain damage, loss of sight, hearing impairments, arthritis, fits, loss of balance, depression and fatigue.

Most of the after-effects disappear after a year.