{"id":486621,"date":"2026-05-15T21:02:16","date_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/486621\/"},"modified":"2026-05-15T21:02:16","modified_gmt":"2026-05-15T21:02:16","slug":"father-of-student-who-died-of-meningitis-pays-tribute-to-kind-hearted-son-the-irish-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/486621\/","title":{"rendered":"Father of student who died of meningitis pays tribute to \u2018kind-hearted\u2019 son \u2013 The Irish News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The father of a college student who died after catching meningitis has paid tribute to his \u201cfunny, sociable, kind-hearted\u201d son.<\/p>\n

Lewis Waters, who attended Henley College in Oxfordshire, was one of three cases reported in the outbreak, which also includes two school pupils in Reading.<\/p>\n

In a social media post, his father Sean Waters wrote: \u201cWords simply can\u2019t describe the heartbreak and upset we\u2019re going through.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said Lewis developed sepsis \u201cwithin a few hours of feeling ill\u201d.<\/p>\n

\"Shabana<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHe fought hard and was really taken care of by the ICU team, but they just couldn\u2019t save him,\u201d Mr Waters wrote.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are absolutely devastated.\u201d<\/p>\n

He said his son was \u201cfunny, sociable and kind-hearted\u201d, and \u201cloved his sisters, friends and family dearly\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cLife won\u2019t be the same for many of us now that he\u2019s gone.\u201d<\/p>\n

On Friday it emerged that the other two patients being treated for meningitis are pupils at separate schools in the area \u2013 Reading Blue Coat School and Highdown Secondary School and Sixth Form Centre.<\/p>\n

\n

We are currently working with partners to manage a small cluster of meningitis cases in the Reading area. This is not the same variant of MenB seen in the recent Kent outbreak.<\/p>\n

(1\/3) pic.twitter.com\/XJENR8Qvky<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 UK Health Security Agency (@UKHSA) May 15, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The UKHSA said close contacts have been offered antibiotics as a precaution.<\/p>\n

A statement from Henley College said its \u201cthoughts and sincere condolences are with the student\u2019s family and friends at this extremely difficult time\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are supporting those affected within our college community and are following the advice and guidance given by the UK Health Security Agency,\u201d it added.<\/p>\n

Reading Blue Coat School headmaster Pete Thomas said it has been working closely with UKHSA.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe recognise that this is a concerning time for families and the wider community,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are deeply saddened by the news of the death of a student at another local school, and our thoughts are with their family, as well as with all those affected during this difficult time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"HenleyHenley College in Oxfordshire (Zoe Head-Thomas\/PA) <\/p>\n

Dr Rachel Mearkle, consultant in health protection, said: \u201cWe understand that many people will be affected by this sad news and would like to offer our condolences to the friends and family of this student.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents and staff will naturally be feeling worried about the likelihood of further cases, however meningococcal meningitis requires very close contact to spread and large outbreaks, as we saw in Kent recently, are thankfully rare.\u201d<\/p>\n

The agency also confirmed that tests show the infection is not the same strain of meningitis B linked to a fatal outbreak in Kent in March.<\/p>\n

The UKHSA said that information has been shared with the parents and students at all affected schools about the signs of meningitis.<\/p>\n

Symptoms can include a high temperature, severe headache, vomiting, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, confusion, drowsiness, cold hands and feet, severe muscle pain and a rash that does not fade under pressure.<\/p>\n

Dr Mearkle stressed that \u201canyone can get meningitis\u201d, with around 300 to 400 cases of meningococcal disease diagnosed in England every year.<\/p>\n

\"StudentsStudents queuing to receive vaccines and antibiotics at the University of Kent campus in Canterbury in March (Gareth Fuller\/PA) <\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt needs to be treated quickly, so it is important to know the signs and symptoms.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey can appear in any order and may not all be present, so seek rapid medical attention if there is ever any concern.\u201d<\/p>\n

The menB vaccine has been offered routinely to babies as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme since 2015.<\/p>\n

Anyone born before then will not be protected.<\/p>\n

The outbreak in Kent earlier this year led to the deaths of two people and resulted in thousands being given the menB jab or antibiotics in a bid to curb the spread.<\/p>\n

\"HenleyHenley and Thame MP Freddie van Mierlo (Zoe Head-Thomas\/PA) <\/p>\n

Freddie van Mierlo, Liberal Democrat MP for Henley and Thame, called on the Government to explore the possibility of a wider catch-up vaccination programme.<\/p>\n

He told the Press Association: \u201cNaturally, there\u2019s worry in the community given what happened in Kent very recently, but as of yet, all the advice from the medical authorities is that this is contained, and that we should continue as normal, and so people are continuing about as normal as they should.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think what we need to now look at, given what happened in Kent, and now here in Henley, is a wider catch-up vaccination programme.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a cohort of young, young adults at university and at colleges like this who\u2019ve never been vaccinated against meningitis B, who I think now need to be protected. That\u2019s very clear.<\/p>\n

\u201cSo, what I\u2019m asking the Government to do is look at procuring a large number of vaccines and rolling that out as soon as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n

Alex Stanley, vice president of the National Union of Students, said: \u201cThere should never be a cost barrier to lifesaving vaccines, and we need to see the Government offer the meningitis B vaccine to all young people on the NHS.\u201d<\/p>\n

A Department of Health and Social Care spokesperson said: \u201cWe asked the JCVI for an updated recommendation based on the latest evidence on Meningococcal B \u2013 including following the outbreak in Canterbury.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe JCVI is carrying out a review of eligibility for routine MenB vaccination and will provide a further update and advice to the department in due course.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe UK has a world-leading national immunisation programme which is regularly reviewed and updated to reflect the changing nature of infectious diseases and provide the best protection and outcomes for the public.\u201d<\/p>\n