Meningococcal risk: 21-year-old dies of virus-vaccinations urgently needed!

Meningococcal risk: 21-year-old dies of virus-vaccinations urgently needed!

Laimgrubengasse 10, 1060 Wien, Österreich - at the end of February a 21-year-old recruit in Burgenland fell ill from an invasive meningococcal infection and died a short time later. As reported in the media, the young man came to the hospital with a high grade fever and a resulting inflammation of the brain (meningitis). Despite intensive treatment, his condition deteriorated dramatically, and he fell into a coma of several days from which he did not return to life. It is worrying that it was not vaccinated against meningococci, which increases the risk of infection enormously. According to experts from the Robert Koch Institute, young people and young adults who often have a higher risk from their social contacts are at risk, and it is recommended to get suitable vaccinations early to reduce the risk of infection.

The dangers of meningococcal infections

These diseases are rare, but can be life -threatening within a few hours. Up to 10% of the sick die despite medical treatment. The survivors can lead to serious complications, such as seizures or even amputations. This is exactly where the importance of preventive measures comes into play. There are various vaccines that protect against different meningococcal trunks. For children, the constant vaccination commission (STIKO) recommends the early vaccination against group B from the completed 2nd month of life and the combination vaccination against groups A, C, W and Y at the beginning of the 13th month of life. Removal of up to the age of 25 is also important, as the latest cases show.

In addition to vaccination, clarification is of great importance in order to identify the symptoms of meningococcal infection at an early stage. The first signs include fever, headache and chills. The Robert Koch Institute emphasizes that tight contact persons from infected people should also receive chemoprophylaxis to prevent further spread. Man is the only host for the meningococci, and the infection is usually made by close contact with the sick or germs. Therefore, preventive measures, especially in social environments such as schools or pencils, should be taken seriously and the vaccinations should be carried out systematically, as can also be seen on www.rki.de/ratberger.