'I lost my legs to meningitis, more should get vaccine'

A British Paralympian who lost his legs due to meningitis has said he would like everyone to get the meningitis B vaccine.

It is currently available privately or through the NHS for babies and people with certain long-term health conditions, but despite campaigns by charities to have it introduced, UK vaccine experts have concluded that the MenB vaccine isn't cost effective on the NHS for adolescents.

Jim Roberts, who won gold in the Wheelchair Rugby at the Tokyo games, said: "Unfortunately it costs more to vaccinate the population that to treat the very few that get it and that's quite a sad state of affairs."

He has also said students need to be more aware of the symptoms.

The 38-year-old, from Welshpool in Powys, contracted meningitis B while he was in his first year at Coventry University.

He ended up spending the next two and a half years in hospital, lost both legs below the knee and ended up with scarring on his hands.

Roberts said he was "part of the generation that had meningitis C vaccine in school," but that did not protect him from the B strain.

He said it was a "really scary disease when it does take a hold" and he is more aware of it now, but believes many people do not know about the symptoms and "that's such a shame".

Roberts said Coventry University had been "absolutely brilliant" and allowed him to complete his Architectural Design degree after leaving hospital.

He entered the development programme for Great Britain's wheelchair rugby in 2012 and at the Tokyo games in 2021 he was part of GB's gold-winning team,scoring 24 tries in the process.

Following the recent outbreak of meningitis in Kent he said he would like to see the Meningitis B vaccine given out more widely.

He said: "Obviously my generation was one that didn't have the meningitis B vaccine, which is quite sad because it can be life threatening and life changing."

Roberts also said he would like to see students more aware of the symptoms and the risks of meningitis when they go away to university.

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