Parents sensitized after the death of their daughter from meningitis B in college

At 18, Sara Stelzer was in the prime of life – a freshman excited for her classes and being part of a sorority at San Diego State University – when she suddenly fell very sick.

She called her parents on a Sunday night in the fall of 2014 to tell them that she had a headache. Monday morning, Sara seemed to have had the flu. His parents told him to take Theraflu and rest.

But then, things suddenly got worse. Sara's father, Greg, received a message from one of his friends that his daughter was in the emergency room. Laurie, Greg and Sara's mother, immediately went to the hospital. "Every piece of information we had during this hike was worse than the last piece of information," Laurie told Yahoo Lifestyle.

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The parents tried to reassure themselves by focusing on the fact that Sara was a healthy teenager who had never been seriously ill before. "They'll save her and she'll be fine," Greg recalls.

By the time Sara's parents arrived at the hospital, their daughter was in a coma at the intensive care unit. The neurosurgeon told them that they saw no brain activity and that they thought they had bacterial meningitis. "We did not know anything about bacterial meningitis," says Laurie. "We did not even know that we had to ask about these symptoms."

<p class = "canvas-atom canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "Sara's parents will soon learn that & nbsp;Bacterial meningitis& nbsp; moves quickly and can be life threatening if treatment is not immediate. In Sara's case, it was too late to save her life. "Data-reactid =" 40 "> Sara's parents would soon learn that bacterial meningitis was changing rapidly and could be life-threatening if not treated immediately.In the case of Sara, it was too late for save his life.

Greg adds, "Suddenly, in two days, we lost it."

After losing their youngest child, described by Laurie as "tall, beautiful and vibrant – really a ray of sunshine," she said, "It was a very difficult hole to go out."

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Although Sara had already received the meningitis vaccine, it was all "A, C, W and Y – not strain B," says Laurie. "They came out with the meningitis B vaccine shortly after his death."

Laurie shares the fact that because the meningitis B vaccine is not mandatory, many teenagers and young adults are not unprotected from this dangerous disease.

<p class = "canvas-atom-canvas-text Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "According to the & nbsp;National Meningitis Association& nbsp; (NMA), adolescents should ideally apply for meningitis B vaccine to their & nbsp;16 years of visiting the doctor. In fact, one of the most at-risk groups is adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 23, according to & nbsp;Centers for Disaster Control and Preventionand the people who live in & nbsp;congested settings& nbsp; such as college dormitories. The NMA also suggests that adolescents receive the second dose of the ACWY meningitis vaccine at the 16-year visit and receive both injections at the same time to simplify the process. According to the National Meningitis Association (NMA), adolescents should ideally apply for meningitis B vaccine when they visit the 16-year-old doctor.In fact, one of the most Most at risk is made up of teenagers and young adults aged 16 to 23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as people living in overcrowded places such as college dormitories. NMA also suggests that teens receive the second dose of ACWY Meningitis Vaccine at the age of 16 and receive both injections at the same time to simplify the process.

There is also a second dose of meningitis B vaccine. "The timing of the second dose varies slightly depending on the brand of vaccine B used by the patient's health care provider, so patients should follow their health care provider, "said the NMA.

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<p class = "canvas-atom-text-canvas Mb (1.0em) Mb (0) – sm Mt (0.8em) – sm" type = "text" content = "To honor Sara's memory and spare other parents Laurie and Greg focused on Meningitis B awareness – including teaching – & nbsp;signs and symptoms& nbsp; to watch – and the importance of vaccinating adolescents. "data-reactid =" 87 "> Laurie and Greg are dedicated to raising awareness about meningitis B – including teaching the signs and symptoms to watch for – and the importance of vaccinating adolescents.