That is sad. I think that it affects kids from middle school to college. I read something about it so I can be on the lookout for symptoms.

Patches, that sure is sad. Did your kids know him well?

I've been seeing commercials about it lately concerning how fast it can take a young life.

Back in 1966 my husband got a phone call from a family that was on his newspaper route 6 years earlier. Their teenage daughter remembered his name. She was in the hospital with meningitis and asked if she could see him. She remembered he used to tease her and make her laugh when she was a little girl when he was the paperboy. Her parents called him and he went to see her. He had to wear a mask and gown. She died the next day.

I think a young girl from this area, maybe Iowa, just died of this. Scary stuff. Patti, do you remember hearing about this?
Leslie

Yikes. I have seen the vacine commercials lately also.

I know they strongly recommend getting the vaccine before going off to college.

I wonder if I shouldn't have my kids get it when they have their sports physicals.

Wow. What parent can't empathize with that grief and the shock of such a sudden loss. I will stop complaining now that DS called me from the HS asking me to run his math book up to him, he forgot, then he didn't show up to meet me where I told him to. I think he probably just misunderstood. Anyway, I'll forgive him. ;o)

My teen and pre-teen have both been vaccinated. It was done at their 12 y/o check up, when additional vaccines are required for middle school anyway. Meningitis was not required for school, just recommended by the doc. I don't know, but I guess it might need done again, a booster, before college.

I can tell you from experience this is NOT an illness you want to experience. We were lucky and our DGD survived, to be honest it was by prayer. I encourage all parents to get the vaccine for their kids. Our case was an anomoly, and she wouldn't have had the vaccine anyway, but please get the vaccine if you have it available to your children.

Vickey-MN

I have looked after children with meningococcal meningitis. It is not a pretty picture. It hits hard and fast! One of my friends lost her baby to it at three months of age. Only hours from the first symptoms until the little one died.

My DD has her vaccine now. The college encourages it, especially for the kids living on campus.

We had a friend (in his early 40's) that died from the bacterial form. He just started feeling sick, then developed purple spots all over his body. His fiance thinks he got it from eating raw oysters the night before.

You should get them vaccinated if possible. There is often a shortage in the late summer when most students are enrolling in college/school. Try to get your kids vaccinated before mid July. I think the shot last about 5 years- so one in Jr. high and another in 11th grade or so will take them almost through college. The most danger in college is when they live in dorms because of the close contact with so many other kids.

We've had that happen at universities in So. CA over the years. After an incident at USC, they had a mass vaccination program for all the other students. My other son's university required it before they would be admitted. It's a preventable tragedy, but I've heard of it more at the university level than middle school.

Janie just above me is right. Get the vaccine.

I knew a woman who had three children, two boys and a girl. One of the boys was hit by a car wile riding his bike, and the other went to the hospital with the flu, which was actually viral meningitis. Only her daughter is still alive. The worst heartbreak I can imagine.

Patches 02, are you by chance talking about the boy in Knox? I read about him in our paper (South Bend Tribune), and felt so bad. Painful thing for his family and classmates to have to bear.

No this one is from North Webster ( Wawasee school district)

I had never even HEARD of meningitis until 17 years ago my youngest son was 5 weeks old and he woke up with a very high fever...I took him to the doctor and she followed us to the hospital...suspecting Meningitis...they immediately spinal tapped him and put him on antibods for 4 days until the culture came back that it was the Viral kind...still scared the bejeesus outta me and of course I was in that room with him the four days he was there and got it too...it was awful...even the bottom of my feet hurt...I guess ignorance was bliss cause I had no idea how dangerous the bacterial kind was or is...

It's so very said to hear that it seems to be more prevalent these days...I remember the nurse at the health department asking if we wanted the vaccine against it...she was really surprised to hear we had gotten the viral kind...who knows from where...

There giving free shots to any of the kids at school that wants it.