Our daughter died after catching the Meningitis B pressure however college guidelines did not even point out it existed

With the ticking of each box on the checklist provided by Bournemouth University, Lee and Helen Draper felt reassured about their daughter joining the next intake of fresher students.

Yet they hadn’t realised the list omitted something so crucial it would claim 18-year-old Megan’s life just five weeks later – a vaccine for a deadly strain of meningitis.

By ticking the box labelled ‘meningitis vaccinations’, they believed she was protected from the disease. But it did not include protection against the MenB strain.

It is the same box ticked by thousands of students across the country – an issue thrust into the spotlight this week as an outbreak spreads across Canterbury, Kent – claiming the life of schoolgirl Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old university student, while hospitalising at least 11.

Megan died in October, just five weeks into her physiotherapy course at her ‘dream’ university, after contracting Meningitis B (MenB).

Her parents, from Pontypool, Wales, say they were misled by the standard MenACWY vaccine their daughter, like many other children in the UK, received in year nine at school.

‘We just assumed that it was the Meningitis jab. We didn’t realise at that point it didn’t cover all strains,’ Ms Draper, 45, tells the Daily Mail.

‘There was a university checklist before Megan went. And on that checklist, it said to make sure you’re up to date with your vaccinations.

‘When we looked at it, it said MenACWY. We thought great, she is covered. She has had all of her vaccinations.

‘So then learning after her death that she died of MenB because she missed out on the vaccine was incredibly difficult.

‘We’ve lost her, and find out afterwards there was a vaccine that could have prevented her death.’

The couple, along with the National Union of Students UK, called in December for a vaccine, or booster, to be made available to young people on the NHS.

The MenB vaccine (ACWY-135) only became available on the NHS for babies in 2015, due to their heightened vulnerability to the disease. Vaccination rates among students are around 73 per cent.

The jab, which is the only protection against the bacteria that involves 83 per cent of meningitis cases in the UK, offers protection for a couple of years.

Alternatively, the booster or vaccine can cost around £110 to £220 privately.

Megan was vaccinated against meningitis A, C, W and Y at 14 – but her parents were unaware a separate vaccination for MenB existed.

Megan’s parents claim the teenagers and young adults across the UK are missing out on protection against the deadly strain due to what they were told were ‘cost effective’ decisions by the Government.

‘She wasn’t eligible for it because the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government, say it is not cost effective,’ Ms Draper says.

‘Megan was absolutely everything. I am sure families in Kent feel the same way. These are youngsters and teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them. But they’ve been cut short because of a cost cutting exercise by the health service, it is just devastating.’

University students are particularly vulnerable to the disease, which spreads in a similar way to a cold through sneezing and coughing, especially as people mix in close quarters.

Megan was described by her mother as ‘sporty, bubbly and charismatic’, with an ‘endearing personality’.

‘She played regional netball and represented Bournemouth University. She was also a competitive swimmer for the university, she was really fit and healthy,’ Ms Draper says.

‘She was absolutely thriving at university.’

On Friday October 24, the couple received one of their regular phone calls from their daughter, who said she was feeling ‘lethargic’ – but she still went out to see her friends.

The next day, as her symptoms worsened to include a headache, stomach pain and a rash spreading across her body, Megan’s parents urged her to go to hospital. 

Despite her symptoms, the teenager was sent home from Royal Bournemouth Hospital.

Concerned, her parents drove from south Wales to be with their daughter, and took her back to the hospital with beliefs it could be meningitis. 

But Megan was sent away again, Mr Draper, 43, explains: ‘We asked the doctor on two separate occasions whether it was meningitis.

‘He said it wasn’t and was nothing sinister like that. It is just a virus. He said she needed to get plenty of fluids and rest.

‘With him being a medical professional, we had to take his word for it but she really wasn’t very well.’

On the drive home from hospital back to Wales, Megan’s condition deteriorated rapidly, causing her to lose the ability to move her legs.

Her parents rushed to the closest A&E, which was Southmead Hospital, Bristol, where she was put into a medically induced coma. 

She died four days later on October 29, leaving her mother and father, as well as her 15-year-old younger brother James.

News of this week’s outbreak left Ms Draper ‘in tears immediately’, with feelings their family lost her daughter in vain – as pleas to raise awareness of the disease landed on deaf ears. 

‘In the aftermath of Megan’s death, we tried to raise as much awareness as we possibly could because we didn’t want other families to be in the traumatic situation that we are in,’ she says.

‘Then we see this outbreak and how many lives have been devastated, with families and parents going through the absolute trauma we did. We are just heartbroken for them.’

While expressing sympathy for families impacted, Ms Draper says she is ‘frustrated’ by the advice given by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) this week in response to the outbreak in Kent – which urges people to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis.

‘We did know the signs and symptoms last year. We took Megan to hospital twice and was sent away. You cannot even rely on frontline medical services to identify meningitis,’ Ms Draper explains.

‘We are an absolute testament that they cannot be relied upon. So the only option is to make sure teenagers are vaccinated.’

Microbiology experts at the UKHSA have confirmed the outbreak in Kent involves a serious strain of the disease.

While infectious disease experts say the outbreak is ‘unusual’ and may be linked to a combination of lower vaccination rates since the Covid pandemic, combined with a possible ‘new strain with different behaviours’.

This week, around 2,000 concerned students in Kent have been given preventative antibiotics to combat the ‘invasive’ strain.

The outbreak has been traced to a nightclub in Canterbury, where more than 2,000 people are believed to have visited over key dates, with transmission linked to club nights to house parties, university halls, secondary schools and sixth forms.

The UKHSA urged anyone who visited Club Chemistry on March 5, 6 or 7 to come forward for antibiotics as a ‘precautionary’ measure.

It is thought the rapid spread of the disease may have been facilitated students sharing vapes. 

Louise Jones-Roberts, the owner of Club Chemistry, said officials had contacted her as they traced potentially infected students.

The 1,600-capacity venue hopes ticket sales and its ID scanning system – which stories images of identification – can help identify those at risk.

Ms Jones-Roberts said: ‘I’ve been told they started showing symptoms on March 10. I wouldn’t have opened that weekend if I’d known, but I didn’t know. I’m worried about another potential outbreak from this weekend.’

One of the first fatalities was a 21-year-old student living on the University of Kent campus.

The disease also claimed the life of 18-year-old Juliette Kenny, a grammar school pupil in Faversham, around ten miles away.

Reports of further suspected cases, including at least one victim said to be in a coma, have emerged as far as Whitstable on the coast and across to the commuter town of Ashford.

More than 30,000 students and staff at the Kent University campus have been warned to remain vigilant against symptoms by the UKHSA.

The university has since postponed some in-person exams and moved others online.

The UKHSA, which acted ‘immediately’ after being alerted, warned that thousands of students would have likely returned home for Mother’s Day on Sunday – with fears they may have spread the disease to their families before being told about the outbreak.

A spokesperson for Bournemouth University said: ‘Meg was extremely popular with her fellow students during her time with us and her tragic death was felt deeply across the university. Her family and friends remain in our thoughts and we know that the meningitis cases in Kent will be affecting them too.

‘Like many universities, we advise all students when they join us that they should register with a GP and let them know about vaccinations that are available to them. 

‘We are always keen to hear suggestions to improve the information we provide to students for their health and wellbeing and following a conversation with Mr and Mrs Draper, we made changes to our health webpage – making it clear that the MenACWY vaccine does not protect against all strains of meningitis, including MenB.

‘We were very grateful for their suggestions and we wish Mr and Mrs Draper well in their campaign for improved understanding of MenB.’ 

The University Hospitals Dorset NHS Foundation Trust said: ‘Our thoughts continue to be with Megan’s family. However, as we are still awaiting the inquest into Megan’s death, we are unable to comment further at this time.’

The Department of Health and Social Care have been contacted for comment.