Kerrie O’Connell, 17, Dies from MenB; Family Calls for Adolescent Vaccine Review

Kerrie O’Connell, 17, died in early 2024 in west Cork after contracting Meningitis B (MenB). She experienced flu-like symptoms before her condition worsened, leading to her transfer from Bantry General Hospital to Cork University Hospital, where treatment failed.

Her parents, Rowena and her husband, learned of the MenB vaccine only after Kerrie's death. The vaccine is free for infants in Ireland's Primary Childhood Immunisation (PCI) programme, but only for those born on or after October 1st, 2016, and aged 13 months and under. Rowena O’Connell stated she would have paid for the vaccine if she had known it existed.

In collaboration with ACT for Meningitis, a Galway-based charity, O’Connell is advocating for an urgent review of Ireland’s vaccination policy. They seek a “catch-up programme for adolescents, beginning with incoming first-year third-level students,” mirroring actions in the UK. Northern Ireland recently announced a one-off MenB vaccination programme for 17-18-year-olds born between July 2nd, 2007, and July 1st, 2008, and anyone up to 25 attending higher education for the first time in autumn 2026.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) stated that the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) continuously reviews MenB epidemiology and international evidence. NIAC's 2026 work plan includes an evidence review of MenB vaccination in adolescents and young adults, scheduled for later this year.