New Meningitis inoculations are available for students going to college in September

[CeliB]

Sorry, brain is on a go slow, of outburst if someone is 17 and born after 31st August 97 they don't qualify.

I still think you could argue the first year university if the cohort of students has changed significantly, but maybe it's less painful to just pay the cash (a drop in the ocean compared to the overall costs of getting our DKs this far, and probably one of the few things we can do where we can be confident about the outcome!!!) and save yourself the grief of arguing....

[CeliB]

Should read of course rather than outburst (!) stupid iPad predictive text...

[Katymac]

The surgery rang at 7:30 this morning to say they changed their mind & she can have it

 

I'm obviously persuasive.....or a terrible nag

[Klaris]

Well done KatyMac for persevering with the GP!

 

Unfortunately dance students who go away at 16 seem to fall between the gaps in this area: last year I had a job trying to get my then 17 year old DD the Men C jab, as she'd been homeschooled in GCSE years and missed out. Our GP refused to do it as she was a temporary resident and the surgery she's registered with when away don't do it as their patients have it through school. In the end I found a private travel clinic who would do it. It was a total hassle - and not to mention that no -one was willing to discuss it with me without dd's consent as she was over 16.

 

When I found out she had to have the ACWY as well this year I thought I'd just go straight to the private travel clinic again - but, like KatyMac found, they started saying it wouldn't be licensed for her as she wasn't a traveller. Every time I phoned up someone said something different, but in the end they've booked her in for later this week (£55) Just hope they give it and don't change their mind when she's there!

 

Btw, I also phoned up Meningitis foundation on Anna's recommendation: they were fantastic. They confirmed its no problem having the Men ACWY even after having the Men C 12 months ago and that they have been informed that the ACWY will also cover against Men B.

 

They also said entitled students SHOULD be able to have it at any surgery even if they're only registered there temporarily, and that any costs incurred can be reclaimed from the usual GP. (My own surgery, however, claim to know nothing about it yet and haven't replied to my emails!) If need to go private, she said there will be plenty of options - Boots, private hospitals like BUPA, travel clinics, private doctors - and that they shouldn't refuse due to not travelling abroad.

[Fiz]

That is very good news, Katy. Well done!

[Anna C]

I've just had a quick chat with the Practice Manager who will get back to me.....

[IBD23]

The doctor we saw at travel clinic knew DD was not travelling but said she must have the injection if she was going into a dormitory setting. So I just went ahead. Not cheap but what price health in this instance?

[Ellie]

So, after a week of researching, phone calls, emails and reading the precious advice (thank you ! ) on this forum we had a consultation at the health centre today. Doctor prescribed the vaccine, I went and ordered it from the pharmacy and will go back to the health centre tomorrow for DS to be given the jab. Whole process cost about 50 pounds...... although19 year old DS doesn't think he needs, or wants it. Hmmmm...

 

Sigh....So much easier when they were primary school age and a lollipop/sticker/hotwheels car after the injection was enough to bribe them with ! 

 

(He will be having it)

 

Once again thanks to you all, especially Katymac who started the thread. x

[Anna C]

Practice Manager is flatly refusing to let dd have it on the NHS. She says Public Health dept has told her that dd is too young at 16 and is already covered as she had the Men C booster at 14. I was livid and said that 1. She is not covered against Men W which is the whole point and 2. All the advice given by PHE says "first time uni/college goers who will be living away must have it". She just kept saying that dd cannot have it on the NHS until she is 18.

 

I've also found only one place who will vaccinate non-travelling under 18s and they want £100. As if starting vocational school isn't expensive enough!!

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Is it so difficult for these people to understand that dancers leave home at 16, not 18.

 

Grrr on your behalf.

[Katymac]

Isn't she covered under "Or if you are under 25 and going into your first year away from home"?

[Anna C]

Thanks Pictures. I'm so cross. Both the Nurse and the Practice Manager have basically made their mind up.

[Anna C]

Isn't she covered under "Or if you are under 25 and going into your first year away from home"?

I asked that and she said "The Public Health dept says no".

[aileen]

£100! That's horrifically expensive! Is that in Harley Street? Will NHS surgeries not administer this inoculation on a private basis, as they do with some travel vaccines, or is this inoculation very expensive anyway?  

[Anna C]

£100! That's horrifically expensive! Is that in Harley Street? Will NHS surgeries not administer this inoculation on a private basis, as they do with some travel vaccines, or is this inoculation very expensive anyway?

 

The cheapest I can find it is £70. That seems to be the minimum so I'm guessing it's an expensive vaccine.

[Picturesinthefirelight]

One thing I've thought of: where is your dd got by, is it a degree or diploma course. Make sure you don't refer to the institution as a "vocational school" but call it a uni or college & emphasise it's a degree/higher ed diploma.

 

Just because these numpties can't understand!

[Anna C]

Done all that - to be honest I'm tired of arguing with them now. I have booked her in via MASTA (seems to be BUPA's Travel Clinic Partner) and the Nurse says she can have it even though she's not travelling. £70 but I haven't got the energy to start an official complaints procedure against our GP Practice.

[Billyelliott]

All this makes me wonder about lower school students are they not at risk ? Are they supposed to have herd immunity after the long summer holidays ?

[Interested Parent]

The new Men W poster clearly states 'if you are in school years 9 to 13 (age 13 to 18 years) you are high risk and the poster is urging you to get your child vaccinated. The poster is here: https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/447618/PHE_9268_MenW_A3_poster_09_web.pdf

Could you print out the poster, book private appointment with your GP and ask her?

[Anna C]

Billyelliot, I think there is a spike in incidences of Meningitis in Freshers because of a combination of factors - their age, but also how it's spread, perhaps? Glandular fever was something that hit Freshers very hard when I was at Uni - perhaps more kissing goes on at Uni than in Lower School. ;-)

 

IP I saw that too - the answer was that as per the PHE Directive they are doing Year 13s first, in cohorts of birth date. Dd will be part of the "catch up" but not until 2016-2017. Her reply was that if I want it sooner I will have to go private.

 

Just like Child Benefit, it seems that PHE don't take into account Ballet Students starting HE courses at 16....

[Fiz]

Shall I scream on your behalf, Anna? Talk about splitting hairs! As if you haven't got enough things on your mind and any amount of other expenses at the moment. I would be very annoyed if I was in your position. x

[Interested Parent]

This makes me want to scream too. Especially when it's different 'directives' for different GP Practices. Perhaps it's time for a letter to the GP partners, enclosing the leaflet and stating that they are putting your daughters health at risk when you know other practices are offering it to 16 year olds. Oh dear I will shut up now )-;

[sarahw]

I think speaking to your GP may be helpful. Nurses can only give under a PGD (patient group direction) which will have restrictions to various groups. The practice manager may not be clinically trained at all.

[Anna C]

I think speaking to your GP may be helpful. Nurses can only give under a PGD (patient group direction) which will have restrictions to various groups. The practice manager may not be clinically trained at all.

I asked the Practice Manager if the GP would prescribe and administer it and she said no; under the NHS dd is not eligible until her age group is included - that would be the 3rd cohort, either in 2016 or even 2017. She said the GP would not be licensed to administer it either.

 

Dd does have an appointment booked with her GP a few days before the private appointment so I don't suppose there's any harm in asking - not hopeful though.

[sarahw]

The 'off licence' is a bit of a red herring. Drs prescribe off licence all the time (eg advising you to run 2 packs of contraceptive pills together to avoid a period). If the Dr can show that a body of other Drs would do the same it is acceptable. Drugs are regularly used outside the licence as once a drug is established the company won't want to pay the huge costs of new trials for a closely related use.

[taxi4ballet]

Quick update - after getting nowhere after the doctor's receptionist said dd couldn't have it due to being only 16, we made an appointment for her to see her GP.

 

Went along today, and as soon as we sat down I asked if dd should have the new jab as she was starting a degree and would be living away from home in student accommodation. I got the doctor to agree that it was necessary first, before I mentioned her age! The doctor said "Oh you didn't need to see me for that, you could have just made an appointment for the clinic". I explained that the receptionist wouldn't let me because of her being 16, and also since then, I'd done quite a lot of research online and as far as we could tell, dd really should have it regardless.

 

I also explained that ballet dancers commonly started their training at 16 rather than at the usual age for leaving home for uni, so were the exception rather than the rule, and obviously that wouldn't have been taken into consideration when the age groups had been decided by the Health Service. The GP asked us to wait while she went and spoke to the senior practice doctor.

 

All fine. She made the appointment with the nurse there and then and dd's now had the jab.

 

So, it might be worth making an appointment with your GP rather than speaking to the receptionist/office because once dd's doctor had decided that clinically it was necessary, she sorted it all out for us.

 

[Picturesinthefirelight]

Hurray! Sense prevails!

[Anna C]

Excellent news, Taxi. :-)

 

I have made an appontment with dd to see her GP on Friday, and have a phone call booked for me to speak to the GP tomorrow. I'm going to go through it with her, ask if she will leave a prescription at the desk, *hopefully* collect the vaccine from Boots (who have confirmed they can and will order it) and take it to the Friday appointment.

 

If that fails then I still have the private appointment booked for Monday.

[CeliB]

a little bit off topic but when DS went for his ACWY today (he IS 18 today so no controversy there) I got him to ask the nurse if he could also have men B if we were happy to pay for it. She said they are waiting for stocks next week but in principle yes certainly- she said he's not in the high risk group but I asked him to explain that we knew this but also knew that the routine imms schedule is a cost benefit decision based on the current cost of the vaccine, and that there are still deaths from men B in older children and adults and given that it is vaccine preventable I was more inclined to pay to prevent it! and she seemed to think this was fine.

 

I suspect as Taxi says if you confront a health professional with a reasoned argument often they are reasonable (though agree not all....)

 

Good luck with your GP Anna, let us know how it goes.

[Tulip]

I've just phoned our Gp practice and they said when do we want her booked in for. No problems she is 19 and off to Brussels ????

[Klaris]

Hi CeliB

 

Just to say that when I phoned the Meningitis Foundation they told me they had been advised that the ACWY also prevents against Men B - so it might be worth giving their free phone number a ring to get some more clarity on this.

[Lisa O`Brien]

Received a letter off the doctor`s surgery today inviting Sean to make an appt to have the MenACWY vaccine. Apparently he is eligible.But ,rather worryingly it said there was a limit on the number of vaccines available and so were only available on a first come first served basis. It said they will be holding one clinic session only.The doctor`s surgery is closed for half day now but i`ll be phoning first thing in the morning.

[CeliB]

Hi CeliB

 

Just to say that when I phoned the Meningitis Foundation they told me they had been advised that the ACWY also prevents against Men B - so it might be worth giving their free phone number a ring to get some more clarity on this.

Hi,

Thanks for letting me know this. So the issue here is that ACWY does protect against some strains of men B, but not as many as the Men B vaccine. So if you have already had ACWY vaccine and are also eligible for B (either due to age, risk group, or exposure) you would still be advised to have Men B.

Hence whilst not completely incorrect it's not very helpful for them to tell folks ACWY is protective for B as it may put them off having the B vaccine as well where it is warranted

Sorry I should have been more clear in my previous response, hope this makes sense.