“We have identified the close contacts of this person and they have all received antibiotics, to prevent them developing meningococcal disease,” Pink said in a statement from Te Whatu Ora.
When two people are in close or prolonged contact, the meningococcal bacteria can spread from one to the other through nasal or throat secretions.
“Members of the same household as a person who has the disease are at the highest risk of getting it, including those living in a hall of residence or boarding schools,” Pink explained.
“It is free for those in their first year of living in halls of residence, or in boarding schools, to get vaccinated against meningococcal disease and I would strongly encourage those who are eligible to get their vaccinations for the extra protection, whether that is at your student health medical centre or general practice.”
Te Whatu Ora defined meningococcal disease as a rapidly progressing illness with symptoms like those of several other illnesses, including influenza.
“It’s a bacterial infection that can cause two very serious illnesses: Meningitis (an infection of the membranes that cover the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning). It can affect anyone – but it’s more common in children under the age of 5, teenagers, and young adults,” Pink said.
“Up to 15 per cent of people carry the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease in their nose and throat without being sick. In some people, for reasons we don’t fully understand, these bacteria sometimes go on to cause disease, spreading through the bloodstream (causing blood poisoning) or to the brain (causing meningitis). The bacteria are spread in secretions from the nose or throat by coughing, sneezing and kissing.”
The mother of the other university student from Christchurch who is battling meningococcal disease is urging others to make sure they are adequately protected against the potentially fatal illness. The student wasn’t immunised against all strains of the virus.
It’s recommended all students be vaccinated for meningitis before moving into the apartments. The student believed she was when given her vaccinations in Auckland last year.
Yet, the mother informed the Herald that Menactra, which protects against four different types of the disease, was the only immunisation her daughter had.
The student’s mother claimed that the Auckland health centre they attended never informed them of or gave them the Bexsero vaccine, which offers protection against other strains.
Bexsero wasn’t funded by Pharmac when the daughter was vaccinated in December.
“I was angry,” the mother said.
“I’ve been on the phone with the medical centre asking why I wasn’t given a choice. I would have paid the $130 to get it done. I knew the risks and seriousness of meningitis which is why I got her vaccinated.
“But I wasn’t given the option.”
Her oximeter, which warned the mother about the severity of her daughter’s condition, is the only reason the student, who is undergoing antibiotics, and is “on the mend”, has survived.
The mother thinks she would have ruled out Covid-19 as the cause of her daughter’s illness if the oximeter hadn’t detected the student’s resting heart rate at over 130bpm.
The mother, whom the Herald has agreed not to name, lives in Auckland and said her daughter called her on Sunday to say she felt unwell.
The mother believed her daughter - who had a headache, body aches and a cough - might have contracted Covid. But the daughter returned a negative RAT test.
After her condition worsened at home and a rash appeared, she was taken to the hospital, and the mother’s fears were confirmed when the doctors suggested it could be Covid-19 or a heat rash.
They were later informed meningitis had reached her bloodstream and the daughter had septicemia.
The mother approached the Herald to warn the public about the need to get vaccinated.
“There are so many Covid-19 cases in the student halls,” the mother said.
“I don’t want somebody to go through what we just did and dismiss it for Covid. [My daughter] wants good to come from this.”
On March 1, Pharmac began funding the Bexsero vaccine for all children up to the age of 12, and for people aged 13 to 25 entering their first year of specified close-up living situations.
The Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa, New Zealand is calling for all eligible people, “particularly those living in halls of residence in their first year of tertiary study” to seek vaccination for all strains of the illness.
Bexsero, the meningococcal B vaccination, will now be supported for people aged 13 to 25 who live in close quarters like dorms, boarding schools, residence halls, and military barracks, with a one-year catch-up programme for young people currently residing in close quarters.
It will also be funded as part of scheduled childhood immunisations with a catch-up programme for the next two and a half years to provide vaccination for all children under the age of 5, who are at the highest risk of meningococcal disease.
Māori and Pasifika, particularly young children, represent 60 per cent of the disease cases during this period.
This vaccine was previously only funded for those with reduced immune function or close contact of a meningococcal case.
It is estimated that around 300,000 Kiwis will be eligible during the catch-up period and around 60,000 new infants and young people each year following.
Signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease
Meningococcal disease symptoms typically develop quickly over a few hours, but in some cases may develop more slowly over several days. A person with meningococcal disease may only have some of the symptoms. The symptoms don’t develop in any particular order.
Common symptoms of meningococcal disease include:
- A fever (high temperature), although hands and feet may feel cold
- Vomiting
- Muscle and joint aches and pains.
Common symptoms of meningitis include:
- A headache, which may be severe
- A stiff neck
- Sensitivity to bright light
- Drowsiness and confusion (being hard to wake them).
A red or purple rash is common, but it doesn’t always happen. One or two spots can appear anywhere on the body then many more appear looking like rash or bruises.
If you’re concerned that someone in your family might have meningococcal disease, call your doctor straight away or dial 111 and describe the symptoms.
In Canterbury you can call your own general practice team 24/7 and after-hours when the practice is closed.
Simply follow the instructions on the answerphone to be put through to a health professional who can provide free health advice. You can also call Healthline 0800 611 116 24/7.
If you have seen a doctor and gone home, but are still concerned, don’t hesitate to call your doctor again or seek further medical advice.
More information on prevention can be found here.
