Meningitis B: causes and prevention

Meningitis is aggressive, and it attacks the body. And within a day or so of having symptoms, it could be too late.

Caitlin called us Sunday afternoon with symptoms, and by Wednesday, she was gone.

And she was the only one on campus that got it. So what happens is, the doctor explained that a low percentage of the population carries it in the back of their throat,

and they are immune to it. And they're carriers, and they can distribute it without even knowing it. And you'll never know where it came from.

Everyone wearing masks now-- not that I wanted to wear a mask before, but I always see people sneezing in their hands or in the air.

And it just-- the vapor, it goes in the air, and it just can go into somebody's nose and mouth. Without even realizing it, those carriers can be passing it.

So I'm always telling people to cough in your elbow. Yeah, MenB can be prevented by vaccination. Yeah, but the difference between the first vaccine

and the new strain B, the strain B vaccine needs two injections. [SOFT MUSIC PLAYING]

The advice I would give to a mom that hasn't gone through what I've gone through is the importance of the vaccine,

because I would never have turned the vaccine down if it was available to Cait. And if that was here then, she would have received it.

And I can't understand why anyone would deny their child that coverage, that safety net, why?

I mean, if Cait had this vaccine-- ugh, if it-- Yeah, our lives would be different. Oh, so we just think of what it would be like with her here.