As they always say...prevention is better than a cure! Immunisations are not only an important part of protecting your & your family's health, but also for building heard immunity - trying to help protect those who cannot be immunised for health reasons. You would never imagine that something like this would happen to you, or someone you know. But unfortunately it does - there are approximately 250 cases of meningococcal in Australia each year. Please immunise to protect yourself & your family. You can't imagine the pain someone with meningococcal goes through - the trauma it causes them & their families. Just thinking about what Lucas went through & what he must have felt rips my heart out, knowing there was nothing I could do to help him - not knowing if he would be ok.
Lucas has always been immunised on time following the current immunisation schedule in Australia - the Meningococcal Vaccine is given at their 12month immunisations.
Immunisations in Australia:
In Australia 4 out of the 5 main strains of Meningococcal have vaccines available:
The Meningococcal C conjugate vaccine protects against Strain C (it is currently on the immunisation schedule for all children at 12months).
The Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine protects against A, C, Y & W. Talk to your local doctor regarding this vaccine - it is only recommended for certain people.
The Meningococcal B strain currently does not have a vaccine available, although testing and reviews are currently being run by the TGA on a potential vaccine.
Always practice good hygiene to help minimise the spread of the bacteria.
Even though immunisations do not cover everyone 100%, some protection against this disease is better than none. The doctor at John Hunter told us that because Lucas was immunised it was probably the reason he is still here with us today. If you are immunised & still catch it, the vaccine lessens the blow the disease would have had on you, ultimately giving you a better chance of survival.
If you have been in recent contact with someone who has presented with Meningococcal symptoms, seek urgent medical advice from your local hospital or doctor. Patients with Meningococcal disease need urgent treatment with antibiotics & treatment usually starts before a diagnosis is made, as every minute counts with this disease.
*Please note, I AM NOT a doctor or health professional. The information on this site has been sourced from other websites. This site is about our son's journey through meningococcal - not anyone else's, if you require any information or medical help please contact your local health professional or hospital. We take no responsibility for advice taken from this story, as I said this is OUR story.
We are not affiliated with any websites, charities or hospitals mentioned on here - we just appreciate the work that they do, more than they will ever know.
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