Baby Vaccination: Meningococcal B

If you have already received this famous vaccine for your child, you can count yourself among the lucky mothers. In this article, we’ll tell you the basics you should know about it, so keep reading if that vaccine is yet to be taken by your own child.

Bexsero vaccine: what is it and when?

What is Bexsero vaccine?

Bexsero provides immunity against the meningococcal B bacterium, which causes meningitis or sepsis.

The vaccine provides protection against three of the four variants and is more than 90% effective, but generally has a level of protection of about 70%.

Pediatricians are the biggest proponents of Bexsero because, according to them (although getting the disease is relatively rare), complications of meningitis can be avoided with this vaccine. It has no more side effects than any other vaccine.

Which meningococcal B bacterium is more specifically?

Meningococcus B is a bacterium that causes rare but very serious diseases such as meningitis or sepsis. These diseases have very serious consequences and can even lead to death in about one in ten cases.

Although this bacterium can infect a person of any age, the cases are more common in young children and adolescents, and are therefore at greatest risk.

Meningococcal B inflammation can be treated with antibiotics, but sometimes the disease progresses so fast that treatment is not effective. Thus, the best means of prevention is vaccination.

Meningitis

Meningitis is a severe inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord.

It can cause significant brain damage, and this is a fatal disease in 50% of untreated cases.

Bacteria are transmitted from person to person through droplets from the nose, throat or mouth. The spread of the disease is easier due to proximity and prolonged contact with the affected person.

The average incubation period for a disease is four days, but this time can range from two to ten days. Even when the disease is diagnosed in time and treated properly,  10% of patients die, and usually within the first 24 to 48 hours of onset of symptoms.

In addition, meningitis can cause brain damage, deafness, or learning disabilities in 20% of survivors.

The most common symptoms of meningitis are:

• stiff neck
• high fever
• sensitivity to light
• bewilderment
• headache
• vomiting.

Blood poisoning

Hemorrhage is a very serious disease that occurs when the body has a too strong resistance reaction to a bacterial infection.

The chemicals that end up in the blood to help fight the infection cause widespread inflammation. This then causes blood clots to form and blood vessels to bleed. This causes poor blood circulation, which results in the organs not getting enough nutrients and oxygen.

In the most severe cases, one or more organs may cease to function. In the worst case, low blood pressure causes a decrease in heart function.

Those with sepsis receive treatment in the intensive care units of hospitals.

Doctors try to treat the infection by maintaining vital organs and preventing a drop in blood pressure. In some cases, surgery is also needed.

What should I know about taking the vaccine?

The side effects caused by this vaccine are mild and include the following symptoms:

• fever
• irritability
• pain and redness at the site where the vaccine is given.

It is a good idea to take this vaccine separately from other regular vaccines for infants, and there should be at least three weeks between vaccines.

For fever, which usually does not last long, paracetamol is used as an aid and ice is applied to the injection site during the first day.

Don’t ignore the fact that your child needs certain vaccines to best ensure his or her well-being!