No vaccine for rare illness that killed young surfer

Friday 17 August 2018

There is no vaccine offered to teens in Jersey for a rare illness that suddenly took the life of a “lovely” 20-year-old surfer last summer, an inquest has heard.

Jayson 'Baudy' Baudains, who was also a competitive shooter and described as “generally fit and well”, passed away on 24 August 2017 after falling ill with suspected meningitis just days earlier.

Yesterday, an inquest held to determine exactly how he died concluded that he had contracted Meningitis B – a rare strain of the disease for which vaccinations are only available for babies and very young children, but not teenagers and adults.

Charity Meningitis Now told Express they want to see that change as a matter of urgency, but are now calling on islanders to learn the flu-like symptoms in the meantime to ensure early, potentially life-saving diagnosis. 

Presided by Dr Martin Barette, the inquest was yesterday told that doctors initially thought Jayson was suffering from a renal colic.

On 22 August, Jayson complained to his GP of severe pain in his abdomen radiating from his left side. He was taken to the Emergency Department in emergency. Doctors originally thought Jayson was suffering from renal colitis, suggesting his abdominal pain could be due to kidney stones.

An infection was confirmed in tests conducted later that day, at which point Jayson’s condition rapidly deteriorated. He suffered a heart attack and was taken to the Intensive Care Unit.

Pictured: Jayson was brought into hospital after telling his GP he had intense abdominal pain.

After scans were analysed by a Southampton medical team, a diagnosis of meningitis – a potentially fatal inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord - was then considered. 

However, Jayson's symptoms were described as a "very unusual presentation”, which one doctor said he found "unsettling."

In the morning of 24 August, tests revealed neurological signs of brain stem death, despite their being no evidence of injury or aneurism. Doctors confirmed Jayson's death later that day.

Analysis of fluid from his brain and spinal cord by Warwick University micropathologists revealed "a wide range of organisms", but crucially it found ‘Neisseria meningitidis’, the bacterium responsible for meningitis. 

Dr Peter Southall, Acting Medical Director for Hospital and former consultant pathologist, explained that Jayson died from an overwhelming acute meningitis due to meningococcal B infection – a conclusion Dr Martin Barette accepted.

Pictured: Analysis of fluid from Jayson's brain and spinal cord revealed the presence of the bacterium responsible for meningitis.

The inquest heard that there are currently no vaccines against the group B strain of the disease for teenagers. Dr Linda Diggle, Head of Preventive Programmes, and Dr Mark Jones, Clinical Lead for Childhood Immunisation, explained that vaccination programmes against meningococcal disease vary according to the different strains of the disease. 

"Meningococcal disease can affect all age groups," the doctors said. However there are more cases among children under five years old, with a "peak incidence" in children under one, and in young people aged 15 to 19. 

The doctors explained that the bacteria are usually found in the back of the nose and throat – particularly of teenagers, who unknowingly pass it to each other - but most people do not become ill. 

"Occasionally the bacteria avoid early detection by the body's defences and cause infection," they added. "Why some individuals get disease is not fully understood."

Pictured: A study is currently looking into the possible efficiency of a vaccine against Meningitis B carriage.

Vaccines can play a key preventative role against meningitis, but the doctors said that, while there is a child and teen vaccination programme for the most common strain, the one for Jayson’s rare illness is not offered to all ages – only babies born after 2015.

They explained that this was because Jersey follows the guidance of the UK’s Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI), which is still investigating the possibility of teenage Meningitis B vaccines.

"As most meningococcal B disease occurs in children under five years of age, with the highest incidence in babies under the age of one, this programme aims to reduce the burden and severity of invasive disease by protecting most at risk.

"A large study in the UK (involving 24,000 adolescents) is currently looking to determine if vaccinating adolescents would help reduce Men B carriage in this population. Evidence from this study would help JCVI to determine if the vaccine should be routinely recommended in adolescence.”

 Pictured: Without a vaccine against all types of meningitis, it's best to learn the signs and symptoms, says Meningitis Now.

A spokesperson for Meningitis Now, a charity with over 30 years experience in the fight against the disease, told Express that vaccines are the only way to prevent meningitis and that there should be greater availability.

“As a charity fighting meningitis, we of course wish the vaccine for meningococcal group B was more widely available. We continue to campaign for this. At present the Men B vaccine is offered to babies and the vaccine is also available privately," they said.

Without vaccination programmes to protect against all types of the disease, the charity advises to learn the signs and symptoms, and to seek early medical help if the disease is suspected.

"The early signs and symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia can be similar to ‘flu and include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting and muscle pain. More specific signs and symptoms include fever with cold hands and feet, drowsiness, confusion, pale blotchy skin, stiff neck, dislike of bright lights and a rash which doesn’t fade under pressure. In babies, symptoms can also include being floppy and unresponsive, dislike of being handled, rapid breathing, an unusual, moaning cry and a bulging fontanelle (soft spot on the top of the head).”