A RIDDLESDEN woman who lost her daughter to meningitis is urging teenagers to get vaccinated before starting university.

Keighley town councillor Andrea Walker is backing a call by local GPs for new students to have their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) and meningitis (MenACWY) jabs.

Clinical commissioning groups recently issued the call following an increase in measles cases across the country and Europe, and outbreaks of mumps at universities in England earlier this year.

Local doctors said new university students were at high risk of infection because many of them mixed closely with lots of people in confined environments.

Mrs Walker’s treasured daughter Ellie died six years ago, aged three, from streptococcal septicemia – a form of blood poisoning.

She said other teenagers, like young children, were at higher risk than many of the people of contracting meningitis.

Mrs Walker said in a large place like a university, there could be young people carrying meningitis without knowing, and without themselves falling ill.

She said: “We still don’t know how Ellie picked up the illness. My advice to anyone starting university or college is to get vaccinated.”

The MMR vaccine is available for free to anyone who has not received both doses as a child. If students are unsure, they can contact their GP practice to check. Students should also get the MenACWY vaccine.