Local Advice for Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin Residents on Meningitis

Check your child or young person’s vaccinations

• MenACWY vaccine
  • Routinely given in Years 9 and 10.
  • If missed, young people can have it for free through their GP up to age 25.
  • Contact your GP practice if you are unsure about vaccination status.
  
  
  
• MenB vaccine
  • Given routinely to babies.
  • There is no national catch‑up programme, but the vaccine is available privately.
  • Availability may be limited nationally as areas with active cases (e.g. Kent) are being prioritised. Local pharmacies should be able to advise.
  
  
  

Know when to get help

• If you are worried about symptoms or someone becoming increasingly unwell: call NHS 111.
• If symptoms are severe or worsening quickly: call 999.

Keep an eye out for symptoms

Although meningitis is uncommon and does not spread easily, symptoms can develop quickly. Not everyone will have all symptoms, and they can appear in any order. Symptoms can worsen quickly – keep checking on anyone who is unwell. Do not wait for a rash.

• Early Symptoms (can look like flu): Fever, vomiting, headache, muscle or joint pain, cold hands and feet, feeling unusually tired or unwell
• Later symptoms of meningitis: Severe sleepiness/difficulty waking, stiff neck, severe headache, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion/delirium, seizures (fits).
• Symptoms of Septicaemia (sepis): Fever with shivering, severe pain in muscles/joints/limbs, very cold hands/feet, pale/blotchy/mottled skin, rapid breathing, stomach cramps/diarrhoea, red or purple rash that doesn’t fade with pressure (glass test), difficulty walking/standing, severe sleepiness or loss of consciousness.

The risk in Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin is low

• Meningitis is not like COVID-19; it does not spread easily or widely in the community.
• Close contacts of any local case would be contacted directly by public health teams and provided with antibiotics or a vaccine if required.

Local support and reassurance

In Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin, NHS services, schools, and public health teams are working together to monitor any concerns and ensure rapid action if needed. At this time, no extra measures are required locally beyond staying informed, ensuring vaccinations are up to date, and recognising symptoms early.

Find out more

• NHS: www.nhs.uk/conditions/meningitis.
• Meningitis Research Foundation: www.meningitis.org | 0808 800 3344 (24 hours).
• Meningitis Now: www.meningitisnow.org | 0808 80 10 388 (9am-8pm).

Knowing the signs and acting quickly can save lives.