UK charity Meningitis Now has stressed the importance of teenage meningitis awareness, following the harrowing case of 18-year-old student Lauren Sandell, who died from Men W following alleged vaccine confusion at her GP surgery.

As the North Essex coroner made his verdict last week, Lauren’s mother, Sharon Sandell, joined parents across the UK vowing to raise awareness of meningitis, particularly among teenagers who remain at risk from this growing strain of the disease.

Teenagers are the second most at-risk group of contracting meningitis after babies and toddlers - up to a quarter of students carry the bacteria compared with one-in-10 of the general population.

Lauren’s story is about to launch a major campaign aimed at protecting teenagers from the disease, stressing the need to ensure that people, particularly those heading off to university, have had the Men ACWY jab, while understanding also that this doesn’t protect them against all strains of the disease, particularly Men B.

The Men ACWY vaccine programme has been offered in schools since autumn 2015 to those around 14 years of age. It was also offered to 17 and 18 year olds in a three-year catch-up programme and continues to be offered to new university entrants up to the age of 25.

Dr Tom Nutt, chief executive of Meningitis Now, said: “The reality is that while many young people going to university in the autumn will have been vaccinated against Men ACWY, some may not, and we’d urge all parents to make sure they do.”