A 5 -year -old child from Hunedoara died at a hospital in Timisoara, kidnapped. The case reappears the discussion about the prevention of this type of tragedy, by vaccination. The vaccine is not in the scheme of the compensated.
The danger also exists for very young photo children: UNSPLASH
The serious case became a news story on Monday, March 3, 2025, and has led a discussion that, the specialists say, we should not carry only when a tragedy appears, but it is normal. The vaccine that can prevent meningococcal disease is available for both children and adults, but is not included in the national vaccination scheme with compensated vaccines.
Pediatric doctor Mihai Craiu reacted on his Facebook account/Virtual Hospital for Children on this case, pointing out that this misfortune could be avoided.
“Vaccines for the prevention of meningococcal disease also work in the poorest countries in the world.”
“The morning’s news, for me, was the sad story of a 5 -year -old boy, who developed a “cold” last week, when he went to kindergarten. And on Thursday he died, a few tens of hours since he began to show signs of illness. Despite the sustained efforts of the group of specialists from a hospital in Timisoara the child could not be saved. It had meningococcal meningitis. Another deadly disease for which there is a vaccine ”the doctor wrote.
Dr. Mihai Craiu still draws attention to that “Vaccines for the prevention of meningococcal disease also work in the poorest countries in the world. ” The doctor specifies how in Sub-Saharan Africa, where the largest number of cases of meningococcus infection, around the world, intervened with a special vaccine for these poor countries was described, the vaccine proving its efficiency and reducing the incidence by 99%.
“In 2009, before the introduction of the vaccine in 14 African countries, the system of epidemiological surveillance recorded 88,199 suspicious cases and 5,352 deaths by meningococcal disease. The initiated vaccination campaign reached over 235 million people from 16 countries in the region in the next 6 years. And? And the incidence of the disease caused by type A meningococcus (the one in the vaccine) decreased by 99% between 2010 and 2015.
Qn Burkina Faso the incidence decreased by 99.8% during this time. Because they received 94% menafrivac vaccine. “explained the doctor Mihai Craiu.
Recognition of signs of lightning purple can save lives
What we can do, in Romania, is to ask our family doctor about meningococcal vaccines. And we can do something else, says Dr. Craiu, namely to recognize the signs of meningeal irritation and those of lightning purple.
The test can be done with a photo glass: FB/Children’s Virtual Hospital
“By the way of purple … If an eruption appears on your child’s skin and it has a fever, then press the region with a transparent, unlocked glass. If it does not pale the eruption at all, then it is serious. Go immediately to the hospital because it could be one of severe purple diseases. As it is in meningococemia ”reported Dr. Craiu.
“I advise them every time, before entering the community, to be vaccinated”
Meningococcal disease is a contagious infection, which can have a severe evolution, especially for children and adolescents. It is caused by the Bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, which has 13 serogroups. Five of the 13 causes most cases of meningococcal disease: A, B, C, W and Y.
According to the information on the Medlife website, in Romania, about 70% of the cases reported in recent years have been caused by the Bacteria S Sroger, followed by Serogroup C. The most increased incidence of meningococcal disease is related to the age group 0-4 years, and the next affected age group is 15-24 years. In many cases, even properly treated, meningitis can endanger the lives of children, through very rapid evolution and severe complications, which is why vaccination is required.
The vaccine that prevents serious cases of meningitis is on the market for a long time, says pediatrician Dorian Costescu. Parents of his patients almost never question the doctor’s advice, but also buy vaccines that are not borne by the state, as is the case in question.
“It’s an optional vaccine. The vaccine I present to parents every time, including from birth. I advise parents to do it. There is a market vaccine from several companies, with various indications in terms of administration as age. There is for the ACW and Y serogroup and for the Sroger B ”, explains the doctor.
The vaccine can be done from the age of six weeks. The doctor’s recommendation is, given that there are vaccines in the National Vaccination Program, that the administration will be done before entering the community, if there is no brother or other family member who can bring home, from the community, such a danger. Also before entering the community, the doctor Dorian Costescu also recommends immunization with the vaccines that keep children from hepatitis and varicella.
The number of doses in the case of meningococcal vaccine depends on age. “If we think of the ACW and Y serogroup, after one year, a single dose is made. We can vaccinate with a single dose and then we have maximum protection. And for the type B serogroup, after two years of age you can make two doses, until the age of two years are made. (…) Given that they are optional vaccines and their costs are quite high, we have to think about the financial aspect. In order not to have inups in the vaccination scheme and then we have the maximum title for maximum protection ”, the doctor states.
The dose for type B serogroup costs about 480-490 lei, but the price may be different depending on the pharmacy, while for the ACW-Y serogroup it is about 190-200-220 lei.
The vaccine can be done at any age, but to minimize the risks it is good to advise with the pediatrician. It should also be mentioned that for the type B serogroup there is still a vaccine that can be administered after the age of 10, ie parents have two options.
“If they are not detected in time, they are deadly. That is why it is advisable to vaccinate. Because we do not know which of the serogroups we can be contaminated at some point in our lives and our prognosis may not be so good. (…) To know that meningitis, undiscovered at the right time, not being able to end tragically, can give the sequels that are very, very difficult to treat. Among the sequelae can be limb amputations. The neurological sequelae can also be, but the sequels we see and we are not necessarily the neurological ones, but they are the ones that leave us with a certain degree of disability ”stressed the doctor.
“I do not convince them hard, because I present the best version”
When the doctor proposes to the parents the vaccination, the refusal is extremely rare, even in the case of the vaccines they buy. That’s because, explains the pediatric family doctor, communication is very good. “I do not convince them hard, because I present them all the best option and that we should invest in ourselves and take care of our health. (…) We do not have to wait every time to publish a case in the press, to take action. We must take measures and protect ourselves before the pathology appears ”, draws the attention of Dorian Costescu.
The vaccines that the doctor recommends before entering the child in the community, not included in the national vaccination scheme (those that protect children from hepatitis, varicella and meningococcal disease), “There are vaccines that need to be made without discussing”, the doctor insists.
“There was no need to dismantle any myth. It was not necessary. Because you need to know what to present to man and you have to show them. (…) Practically the cost of vaccine and a meal at McDonald’s or a fast food is identical. The cost of the vaccine is lower than an outing in the city. Believe me. And the benefit is substantially larger ”, Dr. Costescu strengthened.
“Let’s think of a patient with diabetes, who has low immunity. Why not prevent? ”
The infectious doctor Daniel Anțoș, within the Caracal Municipal Hospital, says that patients diagnosed with meningitis, adults, within the hospital, who responded to treatment. Some have also understood the importance of vaccination, but this happens after they or their close friends are facing the disease.
“I had cases, adults, with a otic starting point. We also had viral meningitis, but we cannot identify the virus, because we are still a small hospital. It is sent to the Cantacuzino Institute, or we identify it on the lumbar puncture and we can do the proper treatment. It is medical emergency, hospitalization lasts two to three weeks and then with neurological consultation, to see if it has neurological impairment. It can leave the sequelae, but, under treatment initiated quickly … It also depends on the body, if it is a target organism, if the immunity is compromised, or the patients are elderly, the situation is complicated. I didn’t have deaths. I intervened in time and with the treatment corresponding to the treatment protocol ”, explained the doctor Daniel Anțoș.
For the doctors in the hospital it is no longer a surprise that all the patients who get to hospitalization are unvaccinated. It happens not only in the case of meningitis, for which the vaccine does not compensate, but also happens in the case of influenza and pneumonia, although the antipneumococcal vaccine, like the flu, is compensated for patients with chronic conditions. At discharge, says the doctor, I receive the necessary indications and the prescription for the antipneumococcal vaccine. The doctor also recommends the meningococcal vaccine, the one that does not exist in the compensated scheme, and some of the patients follow the advice and is vaccinated. Some of the patients return with the vaccine, for administration, right to the hospital.
“In patients who have comorbidities, like COPD, bronchial asthma, diabetes, and those over the age of 65 is free. (…) This pneumococcal vaccine covers 40% of the stems. Cover in the elderly patients a possibility of pneumococcal infection. I made my vaccine in front of the patients, in the middle of the section, to take confidence ”says the doctor.
Patient skepticism has increased long after the Covid-19 pandemic, says Dr. Anțoș, and even sadder is that they are even family doctors who encourage them not to get vaccinated.
“Let’s think of a patient with diabetes, who has low immunity. You have to protect it. And does not recommend the family doctor, that
