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Act Quickly!
Alliannah, a six year old, started vomiting & had a fever. Bianca & Hailey, her mother & aunt respectively weren’t too concerned as there was some “gastro” infections going around. Alliannah became lethargic, turned away food and drink. Bianca noticed light purple blotches on her daughter’s stomach and that’s when she was rushed to the […]
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In Remembrance
Kai Matthews’ parents raise money to cover the cost of meningitis B vaccines months after losing their son, for Acadia University students. They said, “It’s unimaginable to lose a child especially to a preventable disease’. Kai’s family spoke out about the importance of the vaccine and knowing the symptoms of meningitis B. They originally had […]
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Meningitis B
Meningococcal disease is caused by the Neisseria Meningitidis bacteria. Meningitis B is one of the several types that can infect the meninges — the lining of the brain and spinal cord. It can also cause an infection of the blood called bacteremia, or blood poisoning. It is important to seek immediate treatment if a person is exhibiting […]
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Exeter Cases
Tragedy first stuck the Exeter University in 2019 when an 18 year old premed student was found dead in his bed on campus. Another student has been diagnosed with meningitis with no direct link with each other, The University offers the Men ACWY vaccination to first year students under the age of 25 for free, […]
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Close Contacts
The Ministry of Public Health are working on a strong prophylaxis operation to avoid and even detect possible infections. A 14-year-old boy was diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis and about 30 close contacts are medicated and monitored to assess their health. As Miguel Coria, head of Sanitary Zone 1, said, “This disease is spread from person […]
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Program Re-start
Impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Region of Waterloo Public Health is resuming the school vaccine program. Kristy Wright, manager of the Vaccine Preventable Diseases program said, “We anticipate that approximately 18,000 students, across three school year cohorts, require one or more doses of the vaccines normally given in Grade 7”. The program offered in […]
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Basic Meningitis Information
Meningitis can be commonly caused by either viruses or bacteria but can also be caused by other means. People can protect themselves by keeping up to date with vaccinations, by being aware of potential sources of infection in their immediate environment, by learning about the symptoms and by discussing risks and testing with their doctors. […]
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Vaccination Mandates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices currently recommends routine vaccination against 16 diseases from birth through age 18. All 50 states have mandated vaccinations for certain vaccine preventable diseases. Vaccination mandates in the U.S. date back to the 19th century. Read the full article
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Urgent Appeal
The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched the first ever global strategy to defeat meningitis by 2030. Bacterial meningitis is a debilitating disease that kills hundreds of thousands of people each year. Its focus is on preventing infections and improving care and diagnosis for those affected. Vinny Smith, Chief Executive Officer of the Meningitis […]
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Meningitis Belt
The sub-Saharan Africa has the highest rates of meningococcal disease in the world making it the “meningitis belt”, as the Democratic Republic of the Congo declared a meningitis outbreak in Tsopo Province. The disease is more common during the dry season from December through June. The best way to protect against meningococcal disease is getting vaccinated. Read […]
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