Meningitis jab advised for young in east France after person dies
12 cases of meningitis B, a rare but deadly infection, have been reported in the past year
Meningitis B is caused by an infection around the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord
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An increase in meningitis B infections in eastern France has led to authorities sending out 56,000 letters recommending people aged 16 to 26 and babies aged 0 to 2 be vaccinated against the infection.
The letters were sent to authorities in Chamb茅ry (Savoie) and eastern Lyon, .
It comes after 12 cases of the rare but deadly infection have been reported in the past year, leading to one death.
Meningitis B is caused by a bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis group B that can lead to the membrane that surrounds the brain and spinal cord becoming infected.
This strain of meningitis is rare and most people recover, but up to 10% of patients who contract it will die, sometimes within 24 hours.
A further 20% can experience long-term effects such as hearing loss, skin scarring, neurological problems or limb loss, according to meningitisB.com.
Jean-Paul Stahl, a Grenoble-based infectious diseases specialist, said vaccination against the infection is 鈥渋ndispensable鈥�.
鈥淢eningitis B is not known to cause epidemics, but it is a killer. We need to take it very seriously,鈥� he told Le Parisien.
The strain can spread to babies aged 0 to two, who have been eligible for a vaccination against the strain since April this year.
Symptoms of meningitis B include:
- Sudden high fever
- Stiff neck
- Severe headache
- Confusion
- Collapse
You should seek medical care immediately. You can phone 112 or 15 to reach an ambulance in France.
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