Bereaved parents urge young people to get MenB jab

A couple whose daughter died of bacterial meningitis has urged young people to get vaccinated as soon as possible following last week's announcement of free jabs being offered.

High street pharmacies across England are now giving meningitis B (MenB) vaccines for many young people, with first appointments available on Monday.

It follows concerns over the UK's largest and fastest growing outbreak in Kent earlier this year.

Clare Robertson and Alex Basford, from Whitstable, stressed that parents needed to encourage their children to have the vaccine.

"You don't want to be in a situation that we are in," Basford said.

"If we had known that vaccinations were available, we would have told Mia to get the vaccine," he added.

Basford said the information had not publicised enough at the time.

"It's been three years since Mia passed away and we are still coming to terms with that," he said.

Mia died on her 20th birthday in 2023.

Since then, the Robertson and Basford have joined the charity Meningitis Now to support families and raise awareness about the disease.

Robertson says she often feels "anxious" when a new academic year approaches.

"When a majority of meningitis cases are being reported, we lose our young people, so I am eager for this vaccination programme being rolled out."

The vaccine offers protection against the dangerous strain of meningitis B (MenB) which caused the outbreak in Kent.

Brijesh Thaker, a pharmacist at Coldean Pharmacy in East Sussex, recommended people to get the second dose at least 28 days after the first dose.

"We urge people to book their appointments as early as possible so they have a better chance to have two vaccines," he says.

He added patients needed to wait 14 days after the second jab for it to take effect.

Thaker said possible side effects could include pain in the area of injection or headache or muscle ache.

The vaccine does not contain any live bacteria and cannot cause meningitis.

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