Marrissa Mullans lost her son Alfie to meningitis in June 2023 in what she has described as a “horrendous nightmare” – she is now calling on ministers to roll out the menB vaccine to all young people
Alfie sadly died in June 2023 from meningitis B
A mum who lots her teenage son to Meningitis B has warned the government is playing “Russian roulette” with the lives of young people.
Marrissa Mullans from Prestwich lost her son Alfie in June 2023 in what she has described as a “horrendous nightmare”. She remembers how he came home from college feeling lethargic, had lost his appetite and complained of a headache. But it wasn’t until she noticed he had a rash on his chest the next morning that she suspected it could be meningitis and rushed him to hospital.
Devastatingly despite best efforts his heart stopped beating just a day after the onset of his symptoms. “It was only after Alfie’s passing that we realised that he hadn’t had the meningitis B vaccination,” Mrs Mullans said.
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Now Mrs Mullans is calling on ministers to roll out the menB vaccine to all young people, not just those born after 2015. Mrs Mullans launched a petition calling for all 16- to 23-year-olds to be offered the vaccine on the NHS. However, she claims the response to her petition was that the vaccine is not “cost-effective”.
She told The Independent : “When did we become a society that puts cost-effectiveness above the safety of young people? The government is playing Russian roulette with these young people,” she added “These young children and up until 2031, none of them will be vaccinated. We can’t live in a society where we are reactionary. We need the vaccine, it’s already licensed,” she added.
It comes after two students have sadly died are being investigated by the UK Health Security Agency after an outbreak linked the to Club Chemistry nightclub in Canterbury. An 18-year-old schoolgirl, named Juliette, and a 21-year-old University of Kent student died after contracting meningitis B.
The UKSHA announced five new cases of meningitis on Wednesday morning, taking the total number being investigated by health officials to 20. Of these, nine cases have been confirmed in the lab and 11 remain under investigation. Six of the confirmed cases have been confirmed as the menB strain.
Several schools in Kent have reported confirmed cases, including: Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School, in Faversham; Norton Knatchbull School, in Ashford; Simon Langton Grammar School for Boys, in Canterbury; Highworth Grammar School, in Ashford.
On Wednesday, health officials revealed a case of meningitis at a second university has been confirmed. This was at the Canterbury Christ Church University in Kent, and the UKHSA said this case was also connected to the Club Chemistry nightclub.
As demand for private vaccines have surged, waiting lists and queueing systems have been introduced by pharmacies. Boots has introduced a queuing system to enter its website, it also warns that demand for its menB vaccination service is currently high.
Superdrug has created a waiting list, with a note informing customers of a “national shortage” of the jab. It said it is “working with suppliers to access further stock”. A spokesperson for Superdrug told PA: “At Superdrug, bookings at our nurse clinics for our meningitis service this week have surged to 65 times the level seen last week.”
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For the latest updates on the meningitis outbreak click here.
