On the Coast – Families Issue 94 I June/July 2018 | Page 20

Meningococcal disease
and vaccination
By Dr Samantha Pethen
BM FRACGP
M
eningitis, it’s a word that strikes fear into most people’s
hearts. Although it is a rare illness, its
consequences can be catastrophic, and even
with appropriate antibiotic care, up to
10% of cases are fatal.
Most people will make a
complete recovery, although
up to 25% of survivors may be left
with serious long term complications.
Meningococci are common bacteria.
About 10% of the population is carrying
them in the nose or throat at any one
time. Carriers tend to be young adults
rather than young children, or older
people. There is no way of knowing
when someone becomes a carrier, and
the bacteria will be cleared naturally
after a few weeks or months.
The age group most at risk of
developing invasive meningococcal
disease are babies and children under
the age of five, and also 15–24 year
olds, but it is important to remember
anyone of any age can catch it. It is not
easily spread from person to person; the
bacteria cannot survive well outside the
human body.
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Most cases are unrelated to others, but
it can be passed on to close household
contacts, or by passionate kissing.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of meningococcal
disease include:
In infants and young children:
ƒ ƒ fever
ƒ ƒ disinterest in feeding
ƒ ƒ irritability
ƒ ƒ extreme tiredness or floppiness
ƒ ƒ dislike of being handled
ƒ ƒ vomiting and/or diarrhoea
ƒ ƒ turning away from light
ƒ ƒ drowsiness
ƒ ƒ convulsions or twitching
ƒ ƒ rash of red-purple pinprick spots or
larger bruises
In older children and adults
ƒ ƒ headache
ƒ ƒ photophobia (dislike of bright lights)
ƒ ƒ fever
ƒ ƒ vomiting and/or diarrhoea
ƒ ƒ neck stiffness and/or aching
ƒ ƒ backache
ƒ ƒ joint pains and sore muscles
ƒ ƒ general malaise/off food
ƒ ƒ drowsiness/confusion
ƒ ƒ rash of red-purple pinprick spots or
larger bruises.
Signs and symptoms can appear very
quickly and people with meningococcal
can get much worse within a few hours.
If somebody close to you has some
of these signs, and appears to you to be
much sicker than usual, seek medical
help immediately.