We share our children’s dreams. For my son Evan, that meant college graduation, medical school and starting a family.
None of us imagined his life would end at age 20, the result of a bacterial infection called meningococcal disease. That was in 1998.
Evan was a junior in college. After he died, I was shocked to learn this disease was potentially vaccine preventable. I’ve since dedicated my life to protecting our kids — in Georgia and across the country.
A lot has changed since that time. There are now vaccination recommendations and Georgia state laws in place to help protect our kids.
Yet, despite these laws, half of our children remain unvaccinated and vulnerable.
That’s why I’m teaming up with a leading pediatrician and medical educator, Dr. Harry L. Keyserling, who also knows how devastating this disease is. We believe informed parents will choose to protect their children, and our goal is to make sure we all do a better job.
Now is a critical time — the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has long recommended meningococcal vaccination for 11- to 12-year-olds. But studies have shown protection from this initial dose wears off over time, so the CDC recently added a booster for teens. It also suggests that college students receive a vaccination within five years before attending, regardless of their age.
Following today’s guidelines, Evan would have been protected.
This disease acts fast and is hard to identify in its early stages, making prevention the best form of protection.
Evan went from having a headache to critical condition in a matter of hours. Often, by the time an infected person gets proper medical attention, it’s too late. Evan’s ordeal lasted 26 days, but some lose their lives within hours.
Meningococcal bacteria can cause extensive damage throughout the body and can manifest in different ways.
Meningococcal meningitis occurs when the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord become infected. The bacteria also can infect the lining of the heart and the lungs (pneumonia).
In its most serious form, it invades the blood stream, causing meningococcemia. One in seven adolescents who contract it will die, and approximately one in five survivors will suffer serious consequences such as limb amputations and organ damage.
During Evan’s time in the hospital, doctors had to amputate both arms and legs to try to save his life.
We have no excuses. Laws in Georgia require college students to show proof of vaccination or to sign a waiver. The vaccine is available free to just about anyone who can’t afford it or doesn’t have insurance. Despite this, only 53 percent of adolescents in Georgia have received even a first dose.
Please, make an appointment today with your health care provider, student health center or public health department.
Lynn Bozof is president of the National Meningitis Association and lives in Atlanta. Dr. Harry L. Keyserling is a professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Emory University School of Medicine.
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