Fight Meningitis Now!
A charity is aiming to raise awareness that older adults are at greater risk
One of the myths surrounding deadly meningitis is that it’s a disease that only affects babies and young children. This is not true – anyone of any age can get meningitis, and one of the age groups more at risk is older adults, those over the age of 55.
It’s for this reason that Meningitis Now, the only charity dedicated to fighting meningitis in the UK, has launched its new awareness campaign – Adults Get It Too.
Newlyweds Michelle and Stuart Jackson were looking forward to spending their lives together but then Stuart was rushed into hospital. He had a temperature, was confused and difficult to wake. After gradually making progress Stuart (56) then took a turn for the worse. He had meningitis and septicaemia and died just before Christmas, 2017.
“They tried to revive him but he had gone,” Michelle said. “My heart broke that day. My life has changed completely without my husband. We only got married in February, 2017, although we had been together for 10 years – married and widowed in the same year! My whole future has been wiped out and I need to try and find a new one without him. This is devastating and very diffic cult to get my head around.”
Stuart’s S story is the reason Mich helle is supporting the new cam mpaign, spearheaded by leading UK mmeningitis charity Meningitis Now w, warning that adults can also con tract this devastating disease, usu ally associated with babies and you ng children.
The T charity has carried out a surv vey, v which reveals that 95% of peo ople o aged over 55 do not consider dea adly meningitis and septicaemia to bbe a threat to them, despite the fact t that the risk of bacterial men ningitis rises in older adults.
Vaccines V that protect against som me types of meningitis and sep pticaemia are given to babies, chil dren and young people, but most over-er-55s will not have had these vaccines.
Meningitis Now is using the findings to inform and educate adults of the risks and the actions they can take to look after themselves and their loved ones.
The charity’s chief executive, Dr Tom Nutt, said, “These findings are a cause for concern. The popular misconception is that meningitis and septicaemia only affects babies and young children. Many in this older age group may be more concerned about their children or grandchildren. We need to scotch this myth once and for all. Anyone of any age can get meningitis, with the risk increasing in older adults.”
Case numbers in the older age group are on the increase too – particularly among those aged over 65, where reported cases have doubled over the past five years.
“This combination of increasing risk and lack of awareness is making older people vulnerable to this devastating disease,” Tom added.
Meningitis Now’s Adults Get It Too campaign is calling on adults to learn the signs and symptoms of the disease by ordering free signs and symptoms cards from its website at WWW.MENINGITISNOW.ORG/ADULTS Freephone helpline 0808 80 10 388.