Hi. I am a big believer in prevention, but my sister is not interested in having her 15 year-old vaccinated against meningitis. Can you help me find an argument that could persuade her? I don’t want to seem too pushy, but definitely believe it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Kathy Huddleson Responds:

As far as I am concerned, there just isn't a good reason for a 15-year-old child to not be vaccinated. Among adolescents and young adults, as many as one out of four who get meningococcal disease may die. In the past 5 1/2 years since our daughter Elizabeth died of this potentially deadly disease, the one thing that has become very evident to me is that the disease moves so rapidly that you don't have time to wait till tomorrow to see if your child is feeling better. By the time you decide to seek medical attention, it is too often too late--the disease can kill in less than 24 hours from the time the first symptom appears, and since the symptoms are so similar to the flu, even medical professionals can misdiagnose this disease. Our daughter went to the emergency room about 8 hours from the first sign of becoming sick, but the doctors sent her home saying she just had the flu. She died about 8 hours later--less than 20 hours from the first sign of becoming sick. If our daughter would have been vaccinated, she would probably still be alive today. The vaccine covers four of the five strains and can prevent the majority of cases among adolescents and young adults. The disease moves too rapidly, but the vaccine may help save a child. Become educated on all the preventative measures and the signs and symptoms of this disease and above all else, be wise and be vaccinated.