Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Meningitis Victims


Yesterday,  I encouraged you to immunize your teens against meningitis, but I wanted to urge you again.  Here's a a link to meningitis angels, a website that tells the stories of teens and children who have become victims to meningitis.

An adolescent who is exposed to meningococcal disease can die within 24 hours of infection. Once the symptoms appear and an accurate diagnosis is confirmed, your teenaged child will have already likely succumbed to the illness.  10-15% of those infected die.  15-19% suffer debilitating side effects, such as loss of limbs, mental retardation, and renal failure.  The stakes are too high to "take your chances".  

I know many of you think I'm an immunization nazi, but that's ok with me.  If it means your child will be spared, you can call me whatever you want!  I know the last thing many teens want is a shot, but I beg you to do this for them.  One shot, 30 seconds of discomfort, may mean a life saved!  Totally worth it!

4 comments:

Al's World said...

Have a question, Kaitlyn had been running a temp the day before she got immunized(sp?), is it okay that I went ahead and did it?

Meredreth! said...

Yes. The only problem is that if she runs a high fever >101 following the vaccines, it's harder to differentiate between an infection and an adverse response to a vaccine. There is no concerns though related to the efficacy of her vaccine being compromised by her fever.

Typically I will tell patients to wait 24 hours post fever or post initiation of antibiotics if they call and ask. If they present in clinic for immunizations and report a illness or fever, 90% of the time we go ahead and vaccinate. Only in the case of severe illness or discomfort for the child will we postpone vaccinations. Not getting vaccinated is way more of a risk than getting a vaccine with a low grade fever.

Anonymous said...

Great Job Mere!!!!

I am the mother of an only child, Ryan, who died from of meningococcal meningitis and the founder and executive director of a national organization, Meningitis Angels, www.meningitis-angels.org.

Too many infants, teens, kids and young adults are left debilitated or die from this vaccine preventable disease.

What is meningitis?
Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as, organ failure, blindness, deafness, loss of limbs, severe seizures, brain damage and other disabilities.
You should also understand meningococcemia and sepsis.

Signs and Symptoms
Do you know the early signs of meningitis and blood poisoning which could improve detection of the disease and save lives?
Unrelenting fever, leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin color can develop within (12 hours) after infection long before the more classic signs of the illness such as a rash, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and impaired consciousness, debilitation or death. Anyone can get meningitis especially infants, children and teens.

What parents and students should know:
According to ACIP/CDC children ages (11) years through college freshmen should be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. The current vaccines are approved for ages (2) years and older. However be informed, there are (5) sero-groups of the disease, all sero-groups are not covered. However the most common in the United States among adolescents and college students is sero-group C and Y, which are.

Infants and toddlers should be vaccinated against pneumococcal and HIB meningitis.
Those children in daycare and those of American Indian, Eskimo and African American heritage are at a higher risk for some forms of meningitis.

There are no vaccines to prevent viral meningitis.
.
Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels, Founder/National Director

Meredreth! said...

Frankie - Thank you so much for reading my post! Your experience puts even more power to the punch of the necessity of vaccination!

So many believe that vaccine preventable disease are not a threat to our children, but there could not be anything further from the truth.

The obvious HIB vaccine shortage is showing that very danger in a very devastating way. Two infants have died in Oklahoma in just the last month because they were infected with Haemophilis Influenzae Meningitis.

Thank you for your comments and for allowing the loss of your only son be an experience that saves thousands of others! God Bless You!

Meredreth