Parents who lost their daughter to meningitis B are urging for the rapid implementation of a suggested catch-up vaccination program for young people.
Helen and Lee Draper, from Torfaen, lost their 18-year-old daughter Meg just weeks after she began university. They expressed their relief at the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation's (JCVI) suggestion for a catch-up program but stressed the need for swift government adoption. "It will also prevent others from suffering lifelong conditions such as amputations, deafness, and cognitive issues to name a few," Helen Draper stated. "As we have seen by the recent outbreaks, meningitis can strike at any time, it is fast acting and can kill within hours."
Draper praised UK Health Secretary James Murray for his "impressive foresight and astuteness in introducing the MenB vaccine for freshers starting in September." She expressed confidence that he would extend this protection in line with the new JCVI guidance, adding, "Our hope is that Wales too will follow suit and protect our vulnerable youngsters."
She described the loss of their daughter as a "horrific and tragic loss of our beautiful, exuberant and compassionate daughter, who had such a promising future ahead of her." The parents stated they could not stand by and watch more teenagers die from a preventable disease. Meg Draper died from meningitis B in 2023. Meg Draper, 18, died of meningitis B just weeks after she started university.