Reassure me about bacterial meningitis

[Kiddiewinks2008]

Having read about that poor little girl in the news plus now Matt Dawsons son too, am having a bit of a freak out about it. Should I be considering the vaccinations for my DCs aged 4&8?
Is it very rare? Realised that I don't know enough about it at all. Can i do anything to minimise risk of getting it?
Aibu to be worried but it seems to be in the media a lot

[Rosduk]

I could have written the post above so YANBU! I also don't know much about it but can't help but think it would be worth paying to get it done privately if it reduces the risk!

[Jibberjabberjooo]

As a children's nurse and a parent I would say if you can afford it then get your children vaccinated. We have. Be aware of the symptoms. It's not necessarily meningitis but the symptoms of sepsis.

I don't know how common it is, I'm sure another medical person may know.

[sugar21]

Please get it done my dd died from MenB

[camelfinger]

We have had our DS vaccinated privately after baby DS2 had a different strain of bacterial meningitis (he's ok). The trouble is that now there is a shortage of vaccine so I'm not sure that anywhere is doing it now.

[specialsubject]

UK stats: according to the NHS website, 2350 cases (not all deaths or lifechanging, but any are too many of course) in 2011.

same year: 1900 road deaths and 123000 serious injuries.

so rare; but some strains preventable with a vaccine which unfortunately is expensive.

[Kiddiewinks2008]

Goodness, am so sorry Sugar

[camelfinger]

Just saw your message sugar - so sorry for your loss.

[Kiddiewinks2008]

Might try and find out about waiting lists for jabs- maybe with the petition, there might be more made available

[witsender]

Sugar

We got ours done privately the other week at Boots, they have run out at the moment but sure it will come back.

My sister had it at 18 odd, so it was personal to us.

[OhShutUpThomas]

How much was it wits?

[Plateofcrumbs]

Whilst a horrendous and frightening illness, it is rare and the risk falls off dramatically as children get older (although are somewhat higher amongst teenagers). Tiny babies are at greater risk than toddlers who are at great risk than school-age children.

Whilst I am 100% in favour of vaccination programmes and reducing the risk of preventable deaths, for any one person the chances of contracting this illness are very small.

[sugar21]

Unfortunately my Daisy succumbed at 17 months.

[Turquoiseskies]

No vaccine available until at least June. There will unfortunately be a family out there keen to pay that loses a child between now and then. I think demand will be high.

[Turquoiseskies]

And actually even writing that makes me panic about my boys :(

[hiddenhome2]

It's £190 from Boots from what I can see. That includes a private consultation.

Not back in until the summer though.

[KitKat1985]

YANBU. I've been worrying about this too. But we are having money troubles so don't think we can afford it. :(

Sugar I'm sorry for your loss.

[mypoosmellsofroses]

Older teens too. Ds1 had it at uni,thankfully all OK now but was hairy. No-one had heard from him for a few days and we had to get police to break into his house. We were 2 hours away when we got a call from the paramedics, he got seen to in the nick of time,I am so glad I did the overprotective mum thing and got the police to do a welfare check. Ds2 is getting a vaccine before he starts uni next year.

[AntiHop]

Sugar

[sugar21]

Thank you for the

[milkmilklemonade12]

sugar I'm so sorry.

My DS is 5 and I will get it done I think.

[keeprunninguphill]

Very sad and very emotive. Looking at the evidence and epidemiology, that's why men B vaccine has been introduced to UK routine schedule for newborns from age 2 months as peak age of incidence is 5 months

[2016Bambino]

I got my 3 year old son the vaccine towards the end of last year. It was 2 injections, 2 months apart and cost £260 in total

[Highsteaks]

Is it in the news now.because the vaccine now exists but just isnt avaialble to all, rather than because of an increase in meningitis cases?

How is meningitis contracted?

So sorry about your Daisy sugar

[Jibberjabberjooo]

As far as I'm aware the vaccination programme will be available for all ages at some point.

[Rainshowers]

Lots of people are saying they would get their children vaccinated but at the moment, even if you're willing to pay its seemingly impossible in most areas. Stocks are low and most private clinics are only offering the vaccines to existing patients who have already had their first vaccine.