Paralympian Aaron Phipps on Gateway

Less than half (44%) of UK parents said that they often discuss potential health issues with their children, according to new market research from GSK.

Overall, less than a quarter of parents surveyed (23%) have discussed meningitis with their teen. Therefore, it is unsurprising that only 8% of teens surveyed are confident that they can spot the signs and symptoms of meningitis, even though young adults, teenagers and babies are the most likely to contract it.

Bacterial meningitis is a serious infection that can kill within 24 hours. One in 20 cases result in death and over a third of children and adolescents who survive meningitis live with life-long physical, cognitive and psychological complications.

Teenagers and young adults are the second highest at-risk group after infants but despite this, these findings show that 71% of parents surveyed said that they are fully aware that the disease can have devastating consequences but only 8% of teens said that they are confident they could spot the signs and symptoms.

Aston spoke to Aaron Phipps, Paralympic wheelchair rugby athlete who discussed his own personal experience of having meningitis and also offered advice. Aston also spoke to Dr Ellie Stillwell, scientific advisor from GSK who discussed the research in further detail and also the signs of meningitis.