MENINGITIS: Warning signs and what to do
THE upsetting photographs of Archie Musgrave suffering in hospital with Meningitis B raised again the important question of vaccination.
The five-year-old came home from school feeling unwell with a headache, but just hours later he was in intensive care, fighting against the potentially deadly infection. Brave Archie, from Hindley, is now making incredible progress, but his case made many parents consider paying privately to vaccinate toddlers who cannot have it free on the NHS. Here’s everything you need to know:-
Will I have to pay to get my child the MenB vaccine?
If your child was born on or after May 1, 2015, then no. They will be offered a free vaccination with doses given at eight weeks, 16 weeks and a booster at one year. A doctor’s surgery or clinic will automatically send new parents an appointment. It’s part of the NHS routine childhood vaccination programme brought in 2015.
If your child was born before May 1, 2015, they are not eligible for a free vaccination on the NHS and parents will have to consider going private. There are several ways to do this.
Where can I get the vaccination and how much does it cost?
You can start by speaking with your GP for advice about vaccinations for older children not eligible for them on the NHS. Some high street pharmacies, including Boots and Superdrug, offer vaccinations. Generally it will cost more than £100 per dose, and between £200 and £300 for a full course. What exactly is the vaccination? The MenB vaccine will protect a baby against infection by meningococcal group B bacteria which are responsible for more than 90 per cent of meningococcal infections in young children. How does it work? The vaccine is a single injection into a baby’s thigh and can be given during routine vaccinations such as the 6-in-1 vaccine and pneumococcal vaccine. Are there any side effects? Side effects of the vaccine include fever, irritability and redness and tenderness at the injection site.
The NHS recommends liquid paracetamol to treat these side effects. What is Meningitis B? It’s is a bacterial infection and can cause blood poisoning (septicaemia). In recent years, the NHS has described it as ‘the leading infectious killer of babies and young children in the UK.’
Over the past two decades, it’s thought that between 500 and 1,700 people have suffered from MenB every year, mainly babies and young children. Of those, around one in 10 died from the infection. The disease can also lead to amputation, severe brain damage and epilepsy. What are the symptoms? A baby or young child with meningitis may:
Feel agitated and not want to be picked up
Have an unusual high-pitched or moaning cry
Have pale, blotchy skin, and a red rash that doesn’t fade when a glass is rolled over it
Have a tense, bulging soft spot on their head (fontanelle)
Have a high fever, with cold hands and feet Vomit and refuse to feed Become drowsy, floppy and unresponsive
Have a stiff neck