I had a PTM (Parent Teacher Meeting) of my 4-year old kid in school. My kid was feverish that day but the meeting was important and I couldn’t avoid going.

As I walked into the classroom, I saw a familiar face. A friend who is also a doctor was waiting for her turn. I told her about my problem and the first thing she asked me was “How high is the fever and is your son complaining about headache or any rashes on the body?” When I answered in the negative, she looked relieved and assured me I could take her slot and get free fast.

I was curious about her reaction, and asked her for details. That is when I discovered about the silent killer – Meningococcal meningitis.

I had heard about Meningococcal meningitis but never knew how dangerous it really is! My doctor friend educated me about this deadly disease and what I can do as a parent to protect my child.

What is Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis causes inflammation in the membrane around the brain and spinal cord. This is a dangerous disease as its symptoms are similar to common flu but it can get bad real quick.

Common symptoms of Meningococcal meningitis

High fever

Stiffness in the neck

Difficulty in looking at bright lights, painful eyes

Various types of meningitis

Meningitis can be caused by Bacterial, Viral and Fungal infections.

Bacterial

Bacterial meningitis is seen as one of the deadliest forms. Studies in India have attributed pneumonia and meningitis as the leading cause of death among children below 5 years of age with nearly 40-50% of cases being of Meningococcal meningitis.

Viral

This is by far the least threatening and common form of meningitis where most patients recover fully without any permanent damage.

Fungal

Fungal meningitis is caused by inhaling fungal spores from the environment. Fungal meningitis is not contagious.

Meningococcal meningitis

Meningococcal meningitis is a form of bacterial meningitis and is associated with high fatality. It can affect anyone of any age. However it mainly affects children under 5 years of age and teenagers.

Even when Meningococcal meningitis is diagnosed early, 8% to 15% of patients die within 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms. There is a high probability of brain damage, hearing loss or disability in 10% to 20% of survivors.

Dangers of Meningococcal meningitis and how you can protect your child

Vaccination is the best way to stay protected

The best way to protect your family members and children is to get them vaccinated so that you are always assured of their safety. At present, Meningococcal meningitis does not have a mandatory vaccine included in the vaccination schedule. Routine immunization programs tend to focus on higher risk population.

So, talk to your doctor today and find out about the vaccines that can protect your family against Meningococcal meningitis.

Join the movement against Meningococcal Meningitis today!

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views solely of the blogger. This is a part of public awareness initiative on meningitis supported by Sanofi Pasteur India. Sanofi Pasteur bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health-related information. This article is meant to help create awareness and spread knowledge. Any decision regarding your health and child’s health should be done after consultation with your doctor. While all efforts are made to keep articles updated, the speed of research in these fields mean the information often may change when more research knowledge is available. NehaTambe or the authors should be in no way held responsible in that case.

References

http://www.comomeningitis.org/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5955554/

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/meningococcal-meningitis

26 Replies to “Dangers of Meningococcal meningitis and how you can protect your child”

  1. Meningitis is a serious disorder that affect lives of many children. its good that nowadays we have the power of vaccination to protect against it. great initiave and I would also love to be a part of it.

  2. Never thought that Meningococcal meningitis can be so dangerous and symptoms are similar to Normal fever. That’s very informative post. Never know that we have vaccine for its prevention.

  3. Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection and timely vaccination for it is a must!! The movement against meningococcal meningitis needs more awareness. Thanks for an informative post!

  4. This is a dangerous disease and it it so crucial for parents to know about it. Thanks for sharing this imformation. Will share it in my groups too.

  5. Wow I didn’t know all this about meningitis. None of my children had this thankfully! I agree more people need to know.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.