HEALTH officials in St Helens and Knowsley are urging all teenagers aged 16 and 17, who are not at school or college to come forward for their meningitis vaccine.

The new meningitis C vaccine is being made available to young people in schools and colleges between the ages of 15 and 17 as the first stage of a national campaign to immunise all young people in the UK.

Most 16 and 17-year-olds will be given the vaccine at school or college during November and December. Those not at school or college need to contact their local family doctor and provide their name, date of birth and address. Appointments will then be sent to them to attend a community clinic for immunisation, probably during the first half of December.

Consultant in Communicable Diseases Dr Basil Wiratunga said: "Meningitis C is not very common but it is potentially fatal. Last year, there were 1,530 cases in the UK and 150 of these people died."

By the end of next year all children under 18 will have been offered the vaccine. The immunisation is being given first to those at greatest risk but, as more stocks of the vaccine become available, the programme will be gradually rolled out.

School-aged children will be immunised at school or college and the school will contact parents before immunisation is due (next summer term in the case of five to 14-year-olds).

From this week, babies at two, three or four months and 13 months going in for their routine vaccinations will be offered the meningitis vaccine as well. Parents with babies five to 12 months and other children under five years will be contacted next year to take their children in for immunisation.

Dr Wiratunga added: "It is important to remember that this vaccine only protects against the C strain of meningitis. It is not effective against the B strain of the disease, which accounts for about 60 per cent of all cases. Everyone still needs to be aware of the signs and symptoms of meningitis."

For further information about meningitis and the new vaccine, call Healthwise on 0800 66 55 44.

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