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Clinical Trials
An important trial for which Griffith’s Clinical Trial Unit, alongside other research sites in Canada, USA, Europe, Turkey and Australia, is to evaluate the safety, tolerability and immunogenicity of a combined Meningococcal vaccine in young adults. Dr. Claire Williams, the Clinical Trial Unit’s Business and Operations Manager, said, “We’re really pleased to be taking part […]
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Basic Facts
Neisseria Meningitidis is the meningococcus responsible for bacterial meningitis and septicemia. This is considered a medical emergency because death can rapidly follow infection. Richard Benson, a spokesperson at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states, “Even with antibiotic treatment, 1 in 10 people who get meningococcal disease will die from the infection. Up to […]
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Immunization Decline
New Ministry of Health, “Statistics show a drop in the vaccination rates of infants over the last quarter, when compared to the previous year. This decline in immunisation coverage could mean thousands of New Zealand infants are unprotected from serious, but vaccine-preventable illnesses.” Auckland University Professor and director of the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) Dr […]
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Moving Campaign
“Take Care of Meningitis” is the initiative based on real cases of survivors of meningococcal disease that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of learning about this disease and its forms of prevention. The goal is “to sensitize the population to the disease so that parents can have informed conversations about it with their […]
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Expand Schedule
A two year old boy diagnosed with meningococcal sepsis in central Queensland has died. Local health officials have said, “Close contacts of the child, are being treated with antibiotics. As a precaution, we’re urging people in Mackay to be aware of symptoms of the disease.” Meningitis Centre Australia, (an advocacy group) chief executive Lisa D’Cruz […]
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Not Safe!
So many kids are learning remotely, but that does not mean we should stop vaccinating them! “Even though now people are not attending classes in college, many of them are living on campus,” Friedland, a Philadelphia-based pediatric infectious disease specialist and Director Scientific Affairs and Public Health at GSK notes, “People are still out doing […]
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Legal Woes
Lance and Jennifer Gravatt have endured legal woes including investigations, inquests, claims and counter-claims since their son, Zac, a medical student died in 2009. After Zac died from a C strain of meningococcal septicemia, a coroner found a medical assessment for Zac was delayed because the health system was overwhelmed from swine flu and seasonal […]
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No Help
Phoebe Moon’s first holiday on a cruise via the Royal Caribbean’s Symphony of the Seas—a ship that promotes activities for the little ones. When Phoebe got sick, her mother Aimee said, “We actually visited the infirmary five times that day and she just got worse and worse throughout the day. Every time we went down […]
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Don’t self-diagnose
Ben de Souza, just eight weeks into his first year at the University of Portsmouth, had been living student life to the fullest. The night before, he’d been clubbing with friends from the university cricket club. He woke up with a pounding head, vomiting and feeling sick. He thought he had a hangover and decided […]
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Re-learning the Basics
Jamini Wright spoke out during Meningitis Awareness week for the charity Meningitis Research Foundation. Jamini experienced joint pain and repetitive vomiting in January 2020 when she contracted the potentially fatal meningococcal meningitis and septicemia, spending four weeks in hospital. She continues to suffer after effects, including limb pain, severe fatigue and headaches. Jamini said, “I […]
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