LOCAL GP practices are “having difficulty obtaining supplies” of a vaccine which could have prevented a Jersey university student from losing all four limbs to a bacterial infection.
The Primary Care Body confirmed that private stocks of the meningitis B vaccine are “currently in short supply in both Jersey and the UK”.
The injection has been offered to babies in the Island since 2015, but is not routinely available as part of Jersey’s teenage vaccination programme. This is in line with the NHS vaccination schedule in the UK.
The meningitis B vaccine can be obtained privately via GPs at a cost of around £100 for one dose. At least two doses of the injection are required.
Following queries from the JEP, the body representing local GPs said doctors have “have definitely seen an increased demand” for the meningitis b vaccination this year, particularly in those going to the UK for university”.
It comes after 24-year-old student Lily McGarry urged young Islanders to check their vaccination records before starting university after learning that she was not vaccinated against the bacteria that caused her to become a quadruple amputee.
The former Jersey College for Girls student fell critically ill in January after contracting meningococcal septicaemia.
What began as flu-like symptoms escalated into septic shock, leaving doctors no choice but to amputate all four of her limbs.
In a message shared by UK charity Sepsis Research last week, Miss McGarry revealed that she had since learned she was unvaccinated against meningococcal group B bacteria.
She said: “Having checked my vaccination history since being ill, I realised that I was unvaccinated against meningitis B.
“And vaccination against this type of bacteria didn’t start until 2015, so it’s likely that if you’re starting this September, you too could be unvaccinated.”
The Primary Care Body board confirmed that GPs had seen an increased demand for the meningitis b vaccination amongst university students this year.
In a statement, the board said: “The meningitis B vaccination is part of the routine vaccination schedule in Jersey for infants.
“Parents can have their children vaccinated privately outside of the vaccination schedule if they wish, but private stocks of the meningitis B vaccine are currently in short supply in both Jersey and the UK and practices are having difficulty obtaining supplies.”
The Primary Care Body urged Islanders to get all the vaccinations offered in Jersey’s vaccination schedule.
“Vaccines provide the best level of protection against a wide range of infectious diseases, from Covid to shingles, and where people are eligible should opt to be vaccinated.
“Vaccine hesitancy poses a significant risk to not only to those who opt against vaccination but greater society.”
