I WAS deeply saddened to read your article on November 2 about Antonia Bruch, a first year student at Oxford University, who has died from meningitis.

I lost my son Spencer to meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia some time ago and can magine the pain that all those who knew her are suffering.

On behalf of the national charity Meningitis UK, which represents thousands of families who have experienced the devastation caused by meningitis, I would like to pass on our heartfelt sympathies to Antonia’s family and friends.

Sadly, students are an at-risk group and are believed to be more susceptible to the disease due to living in close proximity with others. The disease can kill in less than four hours and can often be incredibly difficult to detect as the symptoms are hard to distinguish from flu or a hangover.

For all these reasons, we believe prevention is the only way to truly eradicate the disease and developing a preventative vaccine to protect against all forms of meningitis and its associated diseases is our sole focus at Meningitis UK.

Our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign aims to raise £7m to fund lifesaving research into eradicating Meningitis B, the most common form of meningitis in the UK for which there is currently no vaccine. We receive no government funding and are reliant on the general public to help us in our fight against the disease and to raise money to put a stop to the heartache and suffering it causes.

In the absence of a vaccine to protect against all strains, we also distribute a wide range of material to raise awareness of the common symptoms and need to act quickly, which can mean the difference between life and death.

For a symptoms information pack or more about supporting our Search 4 a Vaccine Campaign, they can call Meningitis UK on 0117 373 7373 or visit www.meningitisUK.org Steve Dayman Chief Executive, Meningitis UK