FURIOUS parents have besieged health officials demanding that their children are vaccinated against meningitis after a grammar school pupil was struck down by a suspected case of the virus.

The girl, a lower sixth pupil at Clitheroe Royal Grammar School, has become the 18th possible case in East Lancashire since Christmas Eve and is being treated in Royal Preston Hospital's intensive care unit.

Warning letters have been sent to all other parents and although the girl's family has been offered antibiotics, fellow students are not being offered the treatment.

Today, East Lancashire's public health director, Dr Stephen Morton, pleaded with parents not to panic and said it was unnecessary to vaccinate any other pupils.

He said the health authority had received a string of inquiries from parents demanding that their children are vaccinated against the deadly brain bug.

Dr Morton said his staff had been shocked by the "aggressive" nature of some of the inquiries.

He said: "There have been some heated inquiries from parents and my staff have been surprised by the aggressive nature of some of them.

"But there is no need to vaccinate any of the other children because this is a single case.

"We would consider vaccination if there had been two cases as we did at Whalley Primary School over a year ago when there were three cases and we vaccinated the whole year. "But because this is a single case the children at this high school are at no greater risk of developing the infection than pupils at any other school.

"We believe that the diagnosis for this pupil is meningitis rather than septicaemia which means the outlook is brighter."

The letter to parents from headteacher Stuart Holt says: "We will closely monitor the situation in school. Our hope is that our student presently in hospital will soon return to us safe and well." Yesterday the Lancashire Evening Telegraph revealed that a child from Blackburn had died from the disease - the second death since Christmas Eve..

A 13-year-old pupil at Mansfield High School, Brierfield, is also among the latest suspected cases. Dr Morton said the girl, who is Burnley General Hospital, was "very ill." Letters have also been sent out to parents at Mansfield and health officials were today considering sending out a second letter to update parents.

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph meningitis helpline is 0990 446644. Enter selection 8219.

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