What caused Aaron Mills' death?

Aaron Mills died from the rare meningitis B strain of bacterial meningitis, which he initially mistook for freshers' flu.

Why was Aaron not vaccinated against meningitis B?

The MenB vaccine, Bexsero, was introduced into the routine NHS childhood immunisation programme in 2015, meaning Aaron was too old to receive it.

What is Aaron's father campaigning for?

Aaron's father is calling for greater publicity around the need for MenB vaccination and for the NHS to extend the vaccine to all young people born prior to the 2015 change.

Home / Health / Meningitis B: The Ticking Timebomb That Killed Aaron

Meningitis B: The Ticking Timebomb That Killed Aaron

7 Mar

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Summary

Aaron, 18, died from rare meningitis B after mistaking it for flu.
The MenB vaccine was unavailable to Aaron's age group due to its 2015 introduction.
His father now campaigns for wider MenB vaccination access for young adults.

Meningitis B: The Ticking Timebomb That Killed Aaron

Eighteen-year-old Aaron Mills tragically passed away on January 3, 2026, after contracting meningitis B, a rare and aggressive strain he initially mistook for common "freshers' flu." Despite prompt medical attention, the infection proved fatal within days.

Aaron had contracted the illness during his first term at Liverpool John Moores University. The MenB jab, Bexsero, was only added to the routine NHS childhood immunisation schedule in 2015, making Aaron too old for the vaccine. He had only received the MenACWY vaccine as a child.