Meningitis survivor welcomes vaccine rollout

A woman who survived bacterial meningitis has welcomed government plans to offer vaccines to young people across the country.

On Friday, the government announced one million UK teenagers would be offered vaccines to help protect them against meningitis B. It came after clusters of separate cases in Kent, Weymouth and Reading earlier this year.

Lucy Higgins from Cornwall suffered a stroke on Christmas Eve in 2024 caused by bacterial meningitis at the age of 39. She was left partially sighted, unable to walk or talk, and with epilepsy.

She said she hoped increased vaccines meant less people had to go through what she did.

She said: "Just being able to have a vaccine and not having to think about this, and never ever having to think about meningitis again... that's what I want for all the people I love and all the people that exist."

Symptoms can develop suddenly and can include a rash that doesn't fade when pressed with a glass, a sudden onset of high fever and a severe and worsening headache.

The government said the two-dose vaccine would be for pupils in Year 13 in England and Wales, Year 14 in Northern Ireland and S6 in Scotland, as well as those aged 18 to 25 heading to university or residential further education for the first time in the autumn.

Before her stroke, Higgins was an avid netball player. On Sunday, alongside her club Cornwall Netball, she raised more than £1,000 for the charity Livewell Southwest, who helped her with her recovery.

Higgins said her physios, therapists, carers and nurses all recognised how important netball was to her.

She said: "They were like, right, let's get you back to netball, and yeah, we've had had a lot of fun with that.

"I'm still not quite at playing netball yet, but I'm having fun with it and getting to enjoy it again."

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