Janine Dunbar is a Member of MRF. Her son, Joseph contracted pneumococcal diseases in 2006 when he was just five months old. You can read and see Joseph's story here.
Janine kindly answered questions from a new website to be launched later this year – Vaccines Today, which we reproduce here.
How has your experience with your son influenced your approach to looking after your family's health?
Well it certainly has influenced my approach to looking after my family's health. You can't possibly go through the experience of serious illness in a one of your children and not be affected by it. You realise that these diseases can happen to you and your family at any time and they are not just some obscure subject that you may by informed about from time to time by the media. When my children are unwell I always think to myself is this something more than just a common illness and I monitor them very closely, even sometimes recording their symptoms and any medication given. Only this week week my son was sent home from school with a very high temperature and I was very insistent with my GP's receptionist that I wanted to see a doctor with him that day. I'm glad I did because he had severe tonsilitis. Of course the problem with meningitis is that in its early stages it is often very difficult to diagnose and the symptoms can be very similar to other common illnesses and that is why as a parent you must be vigilant. My message to all parents is that if you are in the least bit unhappy with your child's health you must seek medical advice. Never hang about for someone to phone you back if you feel your child is just not right, especially if it's a baby and cannot communicate at all. Time is of the essence with meningitis and it can be the difference between life and death. You are the parent and you know your child.
What is your view of vaccine in general?
I have always been completely pro vaccination. Is is thanks to vaccination that we have eradicated diseases such as polio and diptheria in our country. Vaccination saves lives and after having gone through the experience that I have done with my son, my opinions have only been strengthened. Of course with anything there are risks but I do feel that the benefits greatly out weigh these and I would like to thank all those scientists who are working constantly to produce new and improved vaccines. When my son was offered a swine flu vaccination in 2009 I didn't hesitate to accept. Both my children have had all the vaccines that have been on offer to them. You feel helpless when you have to watch your child fight for their life but I hate to think how awful you would feel if you could have helped prevent that disease by vaccinating them and you didn't do so.
What do you say to other parent who are weighing up the merits of vaccinating their children against meningitis?
Take all the opportunities you are offered and get your child vaccinated against as many forms of meningitis as you can. When people think of serious illness they often see the situation in black or white, either you survive or you die. That is true of course but inbetween that you get many shades of grey and for some survivors they never go away. My son had bacterial meningitis and this can leave many serious after affects such as loss of hearing, balance and co-ordination problems, brain injury and severe disability. Many children loose limbs through having contracted meningitis too. Nobody wants this for their children or the rest of their families. Vaccinating your child is the responsible thing to do.
Posted in About meningitis & septicaemia by Janine Dunbar on 30 March 2011
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