meningitis | Common News Update

Jan22019 by adminNo Comments

Report: College students at highest risk for developing meningitis B infection

Health

Dec. 31 (UPI) -- College students have a higher risk of developing a rare and possibly deadly bacterial infection than non-college young people, according to a new study. Medical journal Pediatrics published a study Monday that found students between ages 18 and 24 are three and a half times likely to develop a meningococcus B, or MenB infection, which can cause a deadly blood disease. The researchers examined three years of meningococcal infection data from the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System, gathered from 2014 and 2016. A vaccine exists to combat Meningitis B, but it costs $ 300 and $ 400 for the two shots and isn't recommended as a vaccine for students entering college. "Although the incidence of MenB is low, it is a serious illness and parents should be aware that a...

Teenagers urged to take part in meningitis B vaccine trial

Health

Media playback is unsupported on your deviceTeenagers in Great Britain are being asked to take part in a study to learn if immunising them against meningitis B could protect them and other people.The NHS wants 24,000 to take part in the Oxford Vaccine Group's Be On The Team trial, which is helped by National Institute for Health Research funding.Bacteria at the back of the throat can cause meningitis and the study will see if vaccination can stop this happening.The trial will take place in four waves of recruitment over the next two years.Control groupEach of the teenagers who chooses to participate, in Year 12 in England or the equivalent in Scotland and Wales, will be put into one of three groups of 8,000 participants and will receive two doses of one of two vaccines.Two of these groups ...

Bereaved parents warn teenagers over meningitis risk

Health

Parents who lost a teenager to meningitis are warning other parents to ensure their children are vaccinated against the disease.The Men ACWY vaccine is offered free to all 17- and 18-year-olds and first-time university entrants under 25 because students are particularly at risk.But only a third of young people get the life-saving vaccine, and cases of Men W are on the rise.Meningitis Now said it was "deeply concerned" about low vaccine uptake.Julia Styles lost her daughter Emily at 19 as she was preparing to go to Winchester University.She had been working as a teaching assistant and had plans to become a special needs teacher.Painful lossWhen she started feeling unwell, a few days after Christmas 2013, she was at her boyfriend's house. The following day when she tried to get up, she colla...