Wadebridge School students receive antibiotics to protect against meningitis

Year Seven and Eight Students at Wadebridge school have received an urgent health update from the health protection team following a student from the School who had contracted confirmed meningococcal septicaemia.

Another Year 8 student has been admitted to hospital with what is thought to be the same illness and Wadebridge School are awaiting medical confirmation of this but are taking preventative measures.

The health protection team considers that in these circumstances it is quite possible that the bacterium that causes meningitis may be circulating within Year 8 students at the School and they are including Year 7 in this as they join Year 8 in tutorial groups.

Wadebridge school are following National guidelines and propose treating students in Years 7 and 8 and staff who come into direct contact with them with a single dose of an antibiotic known as Ciprofloxacin. This antibiotic is used to kill the bacterium in the nose and throat of people who may be carrying the infection and prevent them from passing it on to others.

The bacterium is carried at the back of the nose and throat, and is spread by close prolonged contacts with the droplets of respiratory secretions created when a case or carrier of the bacterium speaks, sneezes or coughs.

The health protection team will visit the School on Wednesday 6th April and Thursday 7th April and give each Year 7/8 student or member of staff a dose of antibiotic, boxed and labelled with dosage instructions to take home.

The team advise parents to ensure that students take this antibiotic as soon as practicable with water after they return home. If parents do not want their child to receive this antibiotic they can either notify the school or simply dispose of the tablets when they are brought home.

If you have any questions about this, please ring the Health Protection team on 01726 627881, NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or the Meningitis Trust on 080 8800 3344

photo: Michael Mortensen