Meningitis B vaccine 'available from September'
"All newborn babies in England and Scotland are to be offered a vaccine to combat meningitis B from September," BBC News reports. This will be the world’s first publicly funded vaccination programme for the potentially fatal disease.
What is meningitis B?
Meningitis B is a highly aggressive strain of bacterial meningitis that infects the protective membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It is very serious and should be treated as a medical emergency. If the infection is left untreated, it can cause severe brain damage and infect the blood (septicaemia). In some cases, bacterial meningitis can be fatal.
How common is meningitis B?
The charity Meningitis Now estimates that there are 1,870 cases of meningitis B each year in the UK. Meningitis B is most common in children under five years old, particularly in babies under the age of one.
Initial signs and symptoms of meningitis B in babies include:
a high temperature with cold hands and feet
they may feel agitated, but not want to be touched
they may cry continuously
some children are very sleepy and it may be difficult to wake them up
they may appear confused and unresponsive
they may develop a blotchy red rash that does not fade when you roll a glass over it
For more information, read about the signs and symptoms of serious illness in babies.
Why is this meningitis B vaccine in the news?
The development of a safe and effective meningitis B vaccine is the culmina...
Source: NHS News Feed - Category: Consumer Health News Tags: QA articles Pregnancy/child Source Type: news
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