It all began when Henry Mackaman, a 21-year-old college student, got a fever. His mom, Meredith Leigh, believed it was a flu. He didn't have any unusual symptoms besides a speckled rash.
When his fever reached 104 °F, his roommates took him to the emergency room. Leigh received a call that her son was hospitalized. By the time she got to the hospital, things were bleak.
"By the time I got to Madison, Henry had a seizure and was intubated and he was in a coma, and he never regained consciousness," Leigh said.
Within hours, Henry passed away.
It turned out his flu wasn't a flu at all. Henry had meningitis-B, and although he was vaccinated for meningitis before, it wasn't for this strain.
"Hours with meningococcal disease, I mean, it's critical that you get antibiotics right away, and steroids, which he didn't get," Leigh said.
Now Henry's college, UW-Madison, is doing something positive so that this tragic story never happens again. The university is giving away free vaccinations. So far they have distributed 5,000 doses of the vaccine.
Meningococcal disease can easily spread from person to person through contact — from coughing to kissing and sharing a household. To learn more, see our list of eight life-saving signs of meningitis in children.
According to the CDC, "Even when it is treated, meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 infected people out of 100. And of those who survive, about 10 to 20 out of every 100 will suffer disabilities such as loss of hearing, brain damage, kidney damage, amputations, nervous system problems, or severe scars from skin grafts."
Symptoms include: fever, seizures, loss of appetite, sensitivity to light, headache and skin rashes.
"Even if you don't have a child that's going to this school and can't get the free vaccine, please ask your doctors and health care providers about it. It's potentially lifesaving," urges University Health Service's Dr. William Kinsey.
Please SHARE this important message to encourage others to ask for a meningitis b vaccine.
