Helen and Pete Rowlands lost their son Gareth (Gaz) to meningococcal septicemia in 2003. Photo / George Novak
Gareth Rowlands was at boarding school when he called his parents to complain about a headache.
Twenty-four hours later he was dead.
He was found collapsed in his room after showing no signs and symptoms of the disease that killed him - meningococcal septicemia.
Now his parents are calling on the Government to fund vaccination against all forms of meningitis for 16-year-olds leaving school.
Tauranga couple Pete and Helen Rowlands spoke to the Bay of Plenty Times Weekend about losing their son, Gareth (Gaz), in the UK in 2003.
Their daughter, Sian, then contracted viral meningitis in New Zealand in 2017.
Gareth was 16 and living at a Derbyshire boarding school when he called his parents one night to say he had a headache.
"He felt as if something had popped behind his eye," Pete said.
The next day, he got up and felt "a little bit better". He went to rugby training which finished around 4.30pm.
"And then his teacher found him at 10.30pm dead in his room."
In six hours, he had collapsed showing no signs and symptoms of the disease, Pete said.
Pete wanted to warn people to be aware of the symptoms which were similar to a cold or a hangover such as sweating, cold and clammy hands, vomiting, tiredness and drowsiness.
"If you are a student and you've had a drinking session on a Friday it can be like a hangover.
"Students waking up in the morning don't realise that, actually, it's not a hangover, this is the onset of meningitis.
"If you suspect that one of your loved ones has got the disease, seek medical assistance as soon as possible."
The Rowlands' daughter, Sian, contracted viral meningitis in 2017 and now suffers from long-term effects of the disease.
"She gets severe headaches which put her out completely – she has to just go in a dark room and sleep," Helen said. "When she's tired she slurs her words."
There are three meningococcal vaccines funded in New Zealand for certain populations considered high-risk, according to information received under the Official Information Act from the Bay of Plenty District Health Board.
The Menactra vaccine was funded for those aged 13 to 25 who would be or were living in boarding schools, halls of residence, barracks or prison.
Pete said it was "absolutely fantastic" there was funding for those who lived in close proximity.
"But then there's the wider group that fall into that age bracket where there's no funding available – they've got to fund it themselves."
Pete said $300 for the two required vaccinations was a lot of money for families, particularly if they had several children.
Having lost a 16-year-old son to the disease, they were "really aware" of how susceptible that age group was to contracting it.
Pete and Helen are board members of the Meningitis Foundation New Zealand which aims to raise awareness and educate people about the signs and symptoms of meningitis.
"Our ultimate aim is that so somebody doesn't have to go through the same experience as what we've been through."
Meningitis Foundation New Zealand co-founder and director Andrea Brady said it was calling on the Government to widen access to the vaccine so every school student was "fully protected against all of the vaccine-preventable strains of meningococcal disease".
"Something like 15 per cent of the population carry the bacteria in the back of their throat – it resides in the mucus membrane in the mouth and throat so it can be passed on through coughing, sneezing, sharing utensils, drink bottles, kissing.
"When you're living in close quarters and particularly at the age of adolescence, you're at parties where you're sharing drinks and it's really important that people are really aware of the fact that it can be transmitted very easily.
"Meningococcal disease can move from flu-like symptoms to death within 48 hours, so it's a really fast-acting disease."
Brady said the most common strain in New Zealand was meningococcal B, which the Bexsero vaccine protected against.
The next most common was "strain W" which the Menactra vaccine protected against.
Brady said there was "a very small group of people" who had access to a free vaccine.
"But we believe that there should be no discrimination to just that group. This disease doesn't discriminate at all.
"The students that are living in share houses off-campus are just as at risk as those who are living in halls of residence and should have access to the vaccine."
Information received under the Official Information Act from the Bay of Plenty DHB said the Ministry of Health recommended Menactra and Bexsero for all infants, young children, adolescents and young adults. However, this was not funded and not part of the national immunisation schedule.
The Bexsero and Menactra vaccine cost about $150 and NeisVac-C cost about $98 per vaccine.
Data showed the board had treated 84 patients for meningococcal disease-related admissions between January 2016 and September 2021. There was one death during this period.
Pharmac director of operations Lisa Williams said expert clinical advisers had reviewed and recommended funding wider access to the meningococcal B and meningococcal ACWY vaccines.
Funding for additional eligible groups was on its "options for investment list".
"We operate on a fixed budget set by the Government. Every year, our fixed budget pays for the medicines that are already funded.
"If there is money left over or we receive a budget boost, we use this to fund new medicines."
Pharmac funded the meningococcal ACWY vaccine for people who were at higher risk of meningococcal disease because of a reduced immune function, and for people aged between 13 and 25 in "close living situations".
From July 1 this year, Pharmac also started funding meningococcal B vaccine for close contacts of meningococcal cases, or people who were at higher risk of contracting meningococcal B because they had reduced immune function.
"Pharmac is all about helping people live longer and better lives. We know that this vaccine will protect New Zealanders at higher risk of contracting meningococcal B, which on average causes, more than half of all meningococcal cases each year."
The Rowlands are encouraging people to sign a petition urging the Government to expand access to meningococcal vaccines and provide free vaccines for all preventable forms of meningococcal disease to all students in Year 11, or at 16 years of age, before they leave school to work, study, or pursue other activities.
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