Check-up this week looks at the Meningitis C vaccine
My GP has advised me to get my 15-year-old daughter the meningitis C vaccine. As she's got a thing about injections, I'm tempted not to let her have it. Am I being irresponsible?
Well, it would be unwise not to get your daughter protected from this particularly dangerous disease just because of a needle phobia. Meningitis is a serious and sometimes fatal illness. Meningitis means inflammation of the brain lining and, although it can be caused by different germs, Meningitis Group C is a significant cause of bacterial meningitis and septicaemia.
In Ireland, between 1999 and 2000, it affected 165 people, resulting in the death of 11 and significant long-term disability, including deafness or brain damage, for those who survived. In addition, blood poisoning - septicaemia - can accompany bacterial meningitis and amputation of the affected limbs may be necessary in order to save the person's life. In 2000 the Department of Health launched an immunisation programme aimed at vaccinating those most vulnerable to the disease - mainly children under five and young people aged between 15 and 18 years. As a result of this campaign, there has been a dramatic drop in the cases of meningitis C.
But you hear so many negative things about the side effects of vaccines. What are the risks of this one?
Every parent worries about the possible negative effects of vaccines but the figures are there to prove the overwhelming effectiveness of this particular jab. There are, however, some side effects from the vaccine but they are not usually serious and include nausea, vomiting, headache and a feeling of general malaise.
Of 350,000 doses of the vaccine administered in 2000, only 143 people reported side effects. There were some stories doing the rounds that a child went into a coma following the meningitis jab but this turned out to be a case of fainting with no long-term ill effects.
I'm worried my daughter could get meningitis from the vaccine. Could this happen?
No. Meningitis C vaccine is not a live vaccine and, therefore, cannot cause the disease itself. You should be aware that the chance of experiencing a minor side effect is far less than the positive effect of preventing this devastating illness. A fear of needles is something she can get over, but getting over meningitis is a different proposition.