Father of Laois girl who died from meningitis calls for catch
Following the death of 16-year-old Emily Ellen Culhane from meningitis, her father is advocating for a catch-up vaccination program for Irish teenagers. The inquest noted that while the specific strain is rare, the family believes a targeted vaccination effort is necessary to protect vulnerable age groups.
Why it matters
It raises important public health questions regarding vaccination policy and the management of rare but fatal infectious diseases in adolescents.
Emily Ellen Culhane, who died on 5 January 2025
Seán McCárthaigh AN inquest has heard calls from the father of a young girl who died from bacterial meningitis last year for a catch-up programme to be made available to vaccinate Irish teenagers against the life-threatening infection.
However, the inquest into the death of Emily Ellen Culhane (16), The Birches, Lower Boley, Abbeyleix, who died from a strain of meningococcal B at Beaumont Hospital on 5 January 2025, heard such a measure had already been ruled out earlier this year.
The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) did not recommend a routine MenB vaccination programme for adolescents following a review of an outbreak of meningitis in Kent, England in March, which resulted in the introduction of a targeted vaccination programme in the UK.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in