Breaking news
27 July 2010
Responding to the news that a new vaccine may be available in the form of a nasal spray to tackle pneumococcal bacteria, which can cause deadly meningitis, Sue Davie, Chief Executive of the Meningitis Trust, says;
“The Meningitis Trust fully supports any vaccine development which extends protection against pneumococcal disease. If the current experiment of the new nasal spray vaccine is successful, alongside the vaccine that is currently available, it will help to extend the protection against a disease which kills more under fives than any other infectious disease in the UK.
We see first-hand the impact pneumococcal disease, including meningitis, can have on the individual, their family and friends. And everyday we hear how people's lives have been changed forever after contracting meningitis, so anything that may prevent this suffering is supported by us.
However, although the nasal spray vaccine may prevent many cases of pneumococcal disease, there are still many other causes of meningitis for which there is no vaccine. So, in the absence of a vaccine to protect against all strains of the disease, we would urge people to remain vigilant for the signs and symptoms of meningitis and to trust their instincts at all times.
For a full list of symptoms, people can visit our website www.meningitis-trust.org or call our freephone 24-hour helpline, staffed by nurses, on 0800 028 18 28. And if anyone has any questions about the new vaccine, or other meningitis vaccines, we would urge that they get in touch with us and our nurses can talk them through what's available.
There will always be meningitis in some form and there will always be people struggling to cope with its after-effects. The Meningitis Trust is dedicated to providing lifelong practical, emotional and financial support to anyone living with the impact of meningitis”.
Visit http://www.action.org.uk/press_release/a_new_vaccine_could_help_prevent_serious_childhood_illnesses for more information on the research.
