Cardiff Uni student who contracted meningitis urges other young people to get the vaccine

A Cardiff University student who contracted MenB Meningitis has urged other young people to get the vaccine.

Lana Quinlan contracted the disease before she went to university three years ago, but says she is still “suffering from permanent migraines”.

MenB is the most common form of Meningitis found amongst students, and cases are rising. In Wales, the number of people with the disease was recorded as 17 in 2022, but it stood at 29 in 2023, according to the charity Meningitis Now.

MenB accounted for over 80 per cent of cases in last year, with 20 per cent occurring within the 15 to 24-year-old age group.

Lana told Greatest Hits Radio: “The headache was getting worse and worse. I was aching. I was hot and cold, having fevers. I just didn’t understand what it was. Like, I didn’t know a thing about it.

“I definitely think everyone should get the vaccination done. It’s literally just a tiny injection. If it can at least stop a chance of you getting it and just put that a bit at the back of your mind, it’s so worth it.”

Meningitis Now, the only charity dedicated to fighting meningitis in the UK, is calling for all prospective students to be aware of the signs and symptoms before going to university.

Early symptoms of meningitis include a fever, headaches, vomiting, diarrhoea, muscle pains, stomach cramps, and cold hands and feet. These symptoms can appear in any order, and some may not appear at all.

Chief Executive of Meningitis Now, Dr Tom Nutt, said: “It is vital that young people know what to do in a meningitis emergency – but vaccination is the only way to prevent meningitis.

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“MenB is one of the most common causes of bacterial meningitis in young people in the UK, and latest figures show cases are on the rise.

“Despite this, young people are not currently offered the lifesaving MenB vaccine – leaving thousands unprotected.”

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Featured image via @lana.quinlan on Instagram and Canva