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Belgian paediatricians receive many questions about type-W meningococcus. The bacterium that can cause meningitis or blood poisoning is on the rise in the Netherlands. For the moment, our country does not have to worry, VTM Nieuws
Many parents are worried about the so-called W-type meningococcus, a bacterium that can cause meningitis or blood poisoning. In the Netherlands, the bacteria is on the rise, eighteen children have already died. For example, reports VTM News . To prevent more casualties, there is a lot of vaccination. According to the Higher Council of Health, this is not (yet) necessary
"The first symptoms are high fever and nausea," says the pediatric department of GZA Frederic De Meulder. "At a later stage, there are also splinters of blood on the skin and a person can even contract meningitis."
Sick children can deteriorate quickly one day. A national vaccination campaign was launched in the Netherlands. According to Dr. De Meulder, it is not clear. One hypothesis is that the bacterium is adapted to humans, another hypotesis is that the general resistance is significantly reduced.
"No reason to panic"
This also causes parents to worry about us. But, according to the Higher Council of Health, this is not necessary because, for the moment, there are not many more infections in our country. In the first half of this year, seven people were infected, four in total last year.
If the bacterium is declared, it is probably primarily the adolescents who will have to be vaccinated. They have a lot of mutual contact, their vaccination by age group seems to be the most effective method of control since the number of vaccines is limited, anyway.
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