Child deaths raise alarms over meningitis as experts urge vaccination

ISTANBUL

Two recent meningitis-related fatalities have sparked public concern in the country, as medical experts stress that vaccination remains the only effective protection for at-risk groups against certain strains of the disease.

Meningitis is a contagious disease that can be triggered by both viruses and bacteria, but the bacterial form tends to lead to more severe outcomes.

An 8-year-old girl in the northwestern province of Kocaeli and a 14-year-old boy in Istanbul have recently died from the disease, prompting experts to caution against the spread of bacteria-caused meningococcal meningitis.

The Turkish Medical Association’s branch of family physicians confirmed the emergence of new cases in multiple provinces in a public statement, urging the Health Ministry to investigate the recent increase in cases.

Speaking to daily Milliyet, professor Eda Kepenekli, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Biruni University, pointed to the fact that the ministry has not issued an official outbreak warning.

“Following recent media reports, we have received many questions from families and healthcare providers regarding booster doses,” she said.

“Booster shots are generally advised for individuals considered to be in high-risk groups. For healthy adolescents who were already vaccinated in early childhood, a routine booster is not currently recommended.”

Kepenekli also noted that vaccines against meningococcus are not yet included in the country’s formal vaccination schedule. However, she pointed out that these vaccines have been widely accessible in hospitals and pharmacies for years and are commonly administered.

Also commenting on the issue, Professor Dr. Haluk Çokuğraş, a pediatric pulmonologist at Istanbul University, emphasized the importance of vaccination in preventing bacterial meningitis.

“Thanks to vaccines, bacterial meningitis cases have significantly declined,” he said, while also adding that meningococcal infections can progress rapidly and lead to long-term complications or death if not treated promptly.

“There’s no need for panic,” he said, noting that “we have one effective weapon against meningococcus and that is vaccination.”