Meningitis B: Everything you need to know and how to spot symptoms

Faye prior to contracting the health problem (Picture: SWNS)

After the tragic death of toddler Faye Burdett, her parents are set to provide evidence to MPs concerning the devastating effect of meningitis.

Here are some facts concerning the infection:

Meningitis

Meningitis is an infection of the meninges – the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord.
About three individuals in every 100,000 will certainly get hold of the health problem each year in the UK.
Anyone can easily get hold of meningitis, however babies and young kids under 5 are most at risk.
There are two types of meningitis – viral and the Much more major bacterial.
Bacterial meningitis is treated along with intravenous antibiotics in hospital.

The two-year-old died earlier this year, on February 14, after an 11-day battle along with meningitis.

A shocking image of the youngster covered in a rash and lying in a hospital bed simply prior to she died was released by her bereaved parents Jenny and Neil Burdett.

They hoped to highlight simply exactly how deadly the condition can easily be for children.

The harrowing picture shows their little girl unconscious and for good covered in angry red sores.

It prompted a flood of support for a petition, which is calling for the meningitis B vaccine to be provided to all of kids on the NHS.

Faye Burdett while in hospital (Picture: SWNS)

Those infected along with viral meningitis usually get hold of much better within a couple of weeks, so long as they have actually plenty of rest, painkillers for the headache and anti-sickness medication for the nausea and vomiting.

The symptoms usually start suddenly and get hold of worse rapidly.

It can easily be passed on through close contact.

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In older children, adults and teenagers, the symptoms can easily likewise add confusion and irritability and significant muscle pain.

Symptoms include

A higher fever along with cold hands and feet
Vomiting and refusal to feed
Being agitated and not wanting to be chosen up
Becoming drowsy, floppy and unresponsive
Grunting or breathing rapidly
An unusual high-pitched or moaning cry
A tense, bulging soft spot on the head
A stiff neck and dislike of bright lights
Convulsions or seizures
A red rash that does not fade as soon as a glass is rolled over it (even though not everybody develops this)

Most individuals along with viral meningitis have actually flu-adore symptoms, and in Much more significant cases might experience neck stiffness, muscle or joint pain, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea and sensitivity to light.

Faye’s parents Jenny and Neil are because of speak in Parliament.

They will certainly be joined by Lee Booth, that instigated the most-signed online petition in parliamentary history and ex-England rugby leader Matt Dawson, whose two-year-old son Sam survived meningitis C.

More compared to 823,000 individuals signed the petition however the Government rejected calls for the meningitis B vaccine to be provided to all of children, along with officials saying the NHS budget is a ‘finite resource’.

The Department of Good health this month said its priority is to vaccinate those kids considered most at risk from meningitis B.

Glass test for meningitis (Picture: Getty)

It said it is complying with suggestions from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the Government on the cost-effectiveness of vaccinations.

On Monday, Mr Booth, 44, said a fee must not be put on a child’s life, adding that it would certainly be Much more cost-efficient for the NHS to vaccinate all of kids up to at least the age of 11 very compared to treating meningitis survivors for the rest of their lives.

Booth launched the petition last September after one of his two young daughters was deemed also old to have actually the vaccine on the NHS.

A vaccine to protect versus meningitis B is available on the NHS for babies aged two months, followed by a second dose at four months and a booster at 12 months.

Miningococcal meningitis rash (Picture: Alamy)

The vaccine was introduced as portion of the book immunisation book last September and is offered to babies born on or after July 1 2015.

Parents that wish to have actually older kids vaccinated ought to pay privately, even though a global shortage of the vaccine Bexsero means stocks are quite low. Manufacturer GlaxoSmithKline hopes to have actually increased stocks in the UK by the summer. The NHS programme is unaffected.

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