Worried doctors are stepping up their campaign to immunise Bradford teenagers against a deadly strain of meningitis which can kill within hours.

The move follows a dreadful response to the national campaign to vaccinate 15 to 17-year-olds against the meningococcal C strain of the disease.

So far, nearly 9,000 of the 10,0000 Bradford teenagers offered vaccinations have snubbed the sessions held at schools and health centres across the district during the first two weeks of February.

But today, Alison MacGrath, whose 15-year-old daughter Christina died four years ago after contracting meningitis, is pleading with parents to ensure their children are vaccinated.

Mrs MacGrath, of Craven Lane, Gomersal, said she was devastated when her daughter died and does not want any other parent to suffer the same heartbreak. She said: "Christina's death was a tragedy. There is never a time when I stop missing her and there will never be a time when I don't feel her death is a huge loss.

"I can't stress strongly enough how important it is to be vaccinated. If it was just one life that was saved by this programme then it would be worth while.

"My daughter became ill and died from meningitis C in a very short space of time and she was no more susceptible to meningitis than anyone else. It can happen to anyone.

"I would encourage all parents to take their children along and get them vaccinated so that they don't ever have to go through what I have."

Dr Ruth Gelletlie, Bradford Health Authority's consultant in communicable disease control, said she was disappointed by the poor response.

"Young people think they are immortal but this disease can kill within eight hours," she said.

"We've written a letter to all young people aged from 15 to 17 who are on GP lists but only about ten per cent have come forward.

"It's not a question of them not knowing about the inoculations, they just don't appreciate how serious this disease is.

"It strikes down young healthy people with little warning."

A spokesman for The Meningitis Research Foundation, said: "If people knew the devastation that this disease can cause to family and friends then they would be vaccinated.

"It's vitally important that if people are offered the vaccination they take it up.

"Anything that can prevent another tragedy happening is a fantastic step forward.

"It's disappointing that the take up rate is so low but it could be that they were worried about the vaccination."

The spokesman said that information the foundation had received from other parts of the country suggested that the take-up from teenagers for the vaccination was also disappointingly low.

Dr Gelletlie urged all 15 to 17-year-olds to come forward for their vaccination.

Health chiefs are now taking the immunisation programme to the High Street in an attempt to reach more teenagers.

They will be holding a vaccination clinic at Boots in the Kirkgate Centre, Bradford, on Tuesday, February 22, between 1pm and 5pm. No appointment is necessary for the clinic which will be located on the store's first floor, close to the in-store optician.

And vaccinations will be available at the Milk Bar nightclub in Bradford, on Saturday, March 4, between 11am and 6pm.

"At the end of January we wrote to about 10,000 young people in the age group concerned but to date, only about 1,100 have turned up at one of the many drop-in clinics set up," said Dr Gelletlie.

"Holding a clinic in Boots is part of our plan to bring the vaccination nearer to places where young people congregate. We are also planning a session at a Bradford nightclub in early March.

"One dose of the vaccine should give long-lasting protection against meningitis C. The injection is given into the arm and, apart from having a sore arm for a few days, it is unusual to have any other problems.

"I would like to appeal to everyone in the age group to come forward and be vaccinated against this life-threatening disease. Every year hundreds of people in the United Kingdom get meningitis C. Last year 150 people died in this country."

The national vaccination programme started last year with babies and young children. The second stage involved the 15 to 17-year-olds.

A spokesman for the National Public Health Laboratory said that there was not yet any published research for comparable meningitis C vaccination take-up rates in other parts of the country.

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