University Checklist Omission Led to Student's Meningitis Death
Lee and Helen Draper carefully followed the health checklist provided by Bournemouth University when their daughter Megan prepared to begin her physiotherapy studies. Each ticked box brought reassurance about their 18-year-old's transition to university life. Yet the document failed to mention a crucial detail that would prove fatal just five weeks later - the absence of protection against Meningitis B.
Deadly Oversight in Vaccination Guidance
The checklist included a section about meningitis vaccinations, which the Drapers believed covered all strains of the disease. "We just assumed that it was the Meningitis jab. We didn't realise at that point it didn't cover all strains," explains Helen Draper, 45. Their daughter had received the standard MenACWY vaccine at age 14, like thousands of British children, but this provides no protection against the MenB strain that would claim her life.
Megan Draper died in October, just weeks into what she called her "dream" university experience. Her death has taken on renewed significance as a meningitis outbreak spreads through Canterbury, Kent, claiming two lives - including schoolgirl Juliette Kenny and a 21-year-old university student - and hospitalising at least eleven others.
Cost-Effectiveness Versus Young Lives
The grieving parents from Pontypool, Wales, argue that teenagers and young adults across Britain are missing vital protection due to government decisions about cost-effectiveness. "She wasn't eligible for it because the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government, say it is not cost effective," Ms Draper reveals. "These are youngsters and teenagers with their whole lives ahead of them. But they've been cut short because of a cost cutting exercise by the health service."
University students face particular vulnerability to meningitis, which spreads through respiratory droplets in crowded living conditions. The MenB vaccine only became available on the NHS for babies in 2015, leaving older children unprotected unless parents pay £110-£220 privately. Current vaccination rates among students hover around 73 percent.
Hospital Failures and Rapid Deterioration
Megan's final days illustrate the disease's devastating progression. After reporting lethargy on October 24, her symptoms escalated to include headache, stomach pain, and a spreading rash. Despite two hospital visits to Royal Bournemouth Hospital, doctors dismissed meningitis concerns. "We asked the doctor on two separate occasions whether it was meningitis," recalls Lee Draper, 43. "He said it wasn't and was nothing sinister like that."
During the drive back to Wales, Megan lost mobility in her legs, prompting an emergency dash to Southmead Hospital in Bristol. There, she was placed in a medically induced coma but died four days later on October 29, leaving behind devastated parents and her 15-year-old brother James.
Kent Outbreak Highlights Systemic Problems
The current Kent outbreak has triggered widespread alarm, with approximately 2,000 students receiving preventative antibiotics. Transmission has been linked to Canterbury's Club Chemistry nightclub, with spread extending to house parties, university halls, secondary schools, and sixth forms. Infectious disease experts suggest the outbreak's severity may stem from lower post-pandemic vaccination rates combined with potentially new bacterial strains.
Helen Draper expressed frustration with public health advice focusing on symptom recognition. "We did know the signs and symptoms last year. We took Megan to hospital twice and was sent away. You cannot even rely on frontline medical services to identify meningitis," she emphasizes. "The only option is to make sure teenagers are vaccinated."
University Response and Ongoing Campaign
Bournemouth University has updated its health guidance following discussions with the Drapers, now explicitly stating that the MenACWY vaccine doesn't protect against all meningitis strains. A university spokesperson acknowledged: "Meg was extremely popular with her fellow students during her time with us and her tragic death was felt deeply across the university."
The National Union of Students UK joined the Drapers in December calling for NHS availability of MenB vaccines or boosters for young people. As the Kent outbreak continues to unfold, with University of Kent postponing exams and thousands warned about symptoms, the family's campaign gains urgent relevance. "We've lost her, and find out afterwards there was a vaccine that could have prevented her death," Helen Draper concludes, her voice echoing the anguish of families now facing similar tragedies.
