MORECAMBE Bay Health Authority is urging local teens to take a new vaccine against meningitis.

The killer disease has already claimed the lives of over a dozen students in the last two years and Health chiefs wants youngsters heading for college or university to get the new jab.

Health bosses have been reluctant to issue a vaccine in the past, as the previous drug only worked for three years, and left the patient with much less resistance to the disease when it wore off.

Booster injections only made the situation worse.

Dr John Astbury, acting head of public health for the district, commented "This country is seeing a year on year rise in the number of deaths from the meningococcus C disease. This vaccine can help prevent cases of meningitis in the teenage population, substantially reversing the trend."

Meningitis outbreaks have already hit halls of residence in Southampton and Cardiff. Lancaster University has also witnessed several meningitis case.

Last year, a 24 year old woman working as a cleaner at the Bailrigg campus suffered from the disease. A year earlier an American student had to return home after suffering from the illness. University spokeswoman Vicky Tyrell told the Citizen "We expect to see a case of meningitis every year. We've been lucky in that all the students so far have recovered."

In total, 12 cases of suspected meningococcal meningitis hit the city last year and 3 cases of the related disease meningococcal septicaemia.

Despite the new vaccine, bosses at Lancaster University are not complacent. According to Vicky Tyrell, "We have got to make provisions for people who don't get vaccinated and for international students."

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