Awareness

Dylan was a normal happy boy. In less than 12 hours of showing normal flu-like symptoms, he had died of meningococcal septicaemia. This is a virulent bacterial infection, which is a strain of meningitis. It can be extremely difficult to detect - Dylan showed only two of the eight possible symptoms and displayed no rash. There are over 2,500 cases of all forms of meningitis and meningococcal septicaemia reported in the UK each year.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining that covers the brain and the spinal cord. Meningococcal septicaemia occurs when poisons caused by the meningococcal bacteria get into and poison the blood.

While vaccines to protect against some strains of meningitis exist, there is no vaccine available to protect against the most common form of bacterial meningitis in the UK - meningitis B.

Please take a moment to read this information here: know the symptoms | questions and answers

Knowing the symptoms and acting quickly can mean the difference between life and death.
 

Meningitis UK Awareness Programme

Active awareness campaigning - pictured centre is Steve Dayman, CEO of Meningitis UK, with Dylan's parents Quentin and Surj at ASDA Lincoln. The event was reported in the Lincoln Chronicle and [online], and also in the Lincolnshire Echo [here]