Skylar was two and a half years old, and she was a girl full of energy and vitality who loved to play with her twin sister and her older brother, four years old. The little girl and her family came from spending a fun weekend away from home, and nothing presaged what would happen just a few hours later.
The girl began to feel bad and in a matter of hours died due to a fulminating meningitis B that spread through his body without the possibility of cure. Now, his parents have opened a Facebook page to raise awareness of the severity of this disease and the importance of vaccination.
They did not know that their daughter was not protected against this serious illness
Little Skylar lived in Australia. She was a cheerful and vital girl, and on the weekend of October 15 she had had a great time enjoying with her family a short trip organized by her parents.
But back to his house, Skylar began to feel bad. I was somewhat irrascible and did not want to eat. In the afternoon she started with diarrhea, vomiting and high fever and when her parents saw that three violet spots had appeared in her groin, buttock and neck she was quickly taken to the hospital.
Given the seriousness of the situation, the doctors decided to induce a coma while fighting to save his life. But little could be done for her and in a few hours the girl died because of a sepsis caused by bacterial meningitis.
The parents, broken in pain, then learned that the vaccine that their daughter was wearing according to the vaccination schedule in Australia was the one that protected against meningitis C, but not against B, which had ended the life of her Small in a withering way.
"We thought we were doing everything we could to protect our children. We did not know that the vaccine I was using did not protect against all forms of the disease ... If we had known more about the disease and the vaccine available in pharmacies, we could have had a choice "- Skylar's mother laments.
The vaccine referred to by his mother, and that could have protected Skylar against meningococcus B, is called Bexsero, and in Australia it is available privately since August 2014, since, as is the case in our country, it is not included in the calendar of mandatory vaccines, so whoever wants to put it on their children should buy it.
Although meningococcus B is a relatively rare disease, if it is contracted it is very serious and even with good access to medical care, patients can deteriorate rapidly and die within hours.Unfortunately, Skylar's parents can no longer do anything for their little girl, but they have decided to gather strength to inform other families through a Facebook page, about the severity of this disease and request the authorities to include the vaccine in the children's calendar of the Australian public health system.
Babies under 12 months, the most vulnerable
Although the number of meningococcal B strains has been drastically reduced in recent years, Babies below twelve months are the most vulnerable group, followed by children between one to four years and adolescents between 15 to 19 years.
The signs of meningococcal disease are nonspecific, although they usually include sudden onset of fever, headache, stiff neck, joint pain, rash of purple-red spots, nausea and vomiting.
In our country, the Bexsero vaccine is not included in the calendar of official vaccines, despite the fact that the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP) has been asking for it for some time. For the moment You can only buy in pharmacies for 106.15 euros each dose and, unfortunately, in many cases after a long waiting list.
Hopefully we never have to regret the death of any other baby, child or teenager because of a disease that could be prevented with a vaccine. A vaccine that should be included in official calendars to be accessible to all children. Hopefully soon the Bexsero will be available to everyone!
Via Essential Baby
In Babies and More Parents share the photos of the last day with their baby, before dying of meningitis B, A 2-year-old girl dies of meningitis B and her parents publish her sick photo as a protest for not having been vaccinated, Meningitis, know her Better: prevention and warning symptoms, Meningitis C vaccine: everything you need to know
