A Stretford mum has spoken of her anger after her daughter contracted meningitis despite being vaccinated against the disease when she was four.
Tina Wain was told by doctors that 16-year-old Megan had meningitis C and learnt a booster dose should have been given to her daughter when she was 14.
Evidence shows vaccines can lose their effect before a child reaches their late teens with a peak in cases in young people aged between 15 and 19.
Tina, of Old Trafford, said: “I thought that my daughter had been vaccinated against Meningitis C when she was small and so I was completely shocked when the doctors told me she had caught the disease.
“It’s every mother’s worst nightmare and I was really angry to learn that this could have been stopped by a simple booster shot, especially as the government knew a booster was available to teenagers as early as 2011.”
Tina contacted MP Kate Green to see if she could help raise awareness of the fact booster shots were needed.
It was when Kate contacted the Health Department that she found a booster dose had been introduced for 14 year olds.
The Stretford and Urmston MP, said: “I’m so glad that Tina got in touch with me to let me know about this important issue.
“It seemed ridiculous that young people were put at unnecessary risk of catching meningitis C during the years there was the greatest danger of their getting the disease.
“I’m really pleased that booster shots for meningitis C will now be offered in schools. I hope that this will stop more young people contracting the disease in future.”
Nationally, there has been a 95% decrease in cases of disease caused by the condition since the vaccine was introduced in 1999.
The NHS says the disease tends to strike in the winter.
Image courtesy of Yanivba via Flickr, with thanks.
For more on this story and many others, follow Mancunian Matters on Twitter and Facebook.
