‘It can kill within 24 hours’: Kiwi Dad’s plea as meningitis emerges in Dunedin

2026-03-24 - 16:04

A grieving Kiwi dad, who lost his only daughter to meningitis, is renewing calls for free vaccinations for all New Zealand students as fresh cases emerge in Dunedin and a deadly outbreak unfolds at a UK university. Gerard Rushton, chair of the Meningitis Foundation Aotearoa, has spent more than a decade campaigning for change after his 16-year-old daughter Courtenay died suddenly from the disease after Christmas in 2014. Now, amid renewed concern about the spread of meningococcal disease among young people, both here and overseas, he says not enough is being done to protect students. “We are calling on the Government to do the right thing, to protect our young people, because we are losing the lives of our young people to a disease that is vaccine-preventable,” Rushton tells The Detail, arguing that the current vaccine eligibility window is too narrow and leaves many young people exposed. “People do not need to die. “We are losing these young people, these great young people – they are our future – and we are playing roulette with their lives because at present we haven’t got enough money to fund the vaccination project. “People just aren’t aware of this fast-moving and incredibly aggressive disease that can take a life in 24 hours.” Put simply, meningococcal disease is an infection caused by bacteria. It can lead to two very serious illnesses: meningitis – an infection of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord, and septicaemia – blood poisoning. There are different types of meningococcal bacteria, including A, B, C, W, and Y. Here, in New Zealand, most cases are caused by group B bacteria. The disease is spread in similar ways to the common cold – by coughing and sneezing, or by contact with saliva, such as from kissing. Meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and be life-threatening. It can become deadly in just a few hours. People who survive meningococcal disease often have serious long-term effects, including amputation of limbs, hearing loss, seizures, brain injury, and permanent skin scarring. Meningococcal vaccines are currently funded for children under five and for people aged 13 to 25 entering close-living situations like boarding schools or university halls. But Rushton says that leaves a large number of students – including those flatting or living at home – without protection. He wants universal access to the vaccine before students leave school, saying the current system is “not good enough”. “All that people need to be aware of is they need to be protected from A, C, W, Y, and MenB, so there is one vaccination for A, C, W, Y, and they require two vaccinations for MenB, and they have got to be up to eight weeks apart. “That’s the concern; it does take a wee while to get our kids fully protected. “And it is a concern that those in a lower-decile community simply cannot afford the vaccination. They are about $150 each, and you need three of them, so they are simply out of reach for a lot of New Zealanders. So, we can’t see why the Government is not funding this. “This present policy is really confusing, and we believe it actually discriminates against a large proportion of our at-risk population. And we can’t understand why New Zealand has a health policy at present that discriminates against these people.” New Zealand Health authorities are dealing with at least two confirmed meningococcal cases in Dunedin this month, with officials treating the situation as an outbreak. The cases involve students linked to the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic, with close contacts offered antibiotics and vaccinations. It comes as a major meningitis outbreak linked to students at the University of Kent in England has left at least two people dead and dozens infected this month. Health authorities in the UK have since widened vaccine access and rolled-out emergency antibiotics, with scenes reminiscent of the Covid-19 pandemic as students queue for treatment. The outbreak has reinforced fears about how quickly meningococcal disease can spread in close-living environments such as university halls. “We are watching the UK situation closely,” Rushton says. “It’s really concerning for us because we know this can happen in New Zealand at any time, because of our present low vaccination rates amongst our adolescent population. “It is devastating for us to see it personally because we know the life-long effects it can have on family members, whānau, and the community.” For Rushton, the campaign is deeply personal. Courtenay, a “normal, healthy 16-year-old”, had received a standard meningitis vaccine as a youngster, but her family later learned she wasn’t fully protected against all of the different strains. Twelve years ago, over the New Year period, she complained to her parents of feeling unwell. “We took her to the doctor three times in two days, all after-hours, and it wasn’t until the last visit that she collapsed in the medical centre. She was ambulanced to Timaru ... then flown to Christchurch ... but then sadly we found out it had got to her brain and they had to turn the life support off.” He says no family should have to endure what his has, and believes wider vaccine access could save lives. “It’s been 12 years since I lost my daughter, and I still have tears in my eyes now. Every time we hear about a case, it just rips your heart out because you know what’s going to happen to those people. You know what their life’s going to be like, and you know it just doesn’t need to happen, that’s the crux of it.” Check out how to listen to and follow The Detail here. You can also stay up-to-date by liking us on Facebook or following us on Twitter.