4-year-old hospitalized after contracting meningococcal bacteria - condition serious

A 4-year-old boy from Holon is hospitalized at Wolfson Medical Center in serious condition after contracting an invasive infection of meningococcal bacteria. His condition is now stable. Dr. Diana Tscher, director of the pediatric department, described the bacteria as one of the most violent and dangerous infections in pediatric medicine. The article recalls a similar fatal case from last July and covers the Health Ministry's vaccination recommendations and the budget struggle to include the "Bexsero" vaccine in the health basket.

A 4-year-old boy, a resident of Holon, is hospitalized at Wolfson Medical Center in serious condition after contracting an invasive infection of meningococcal bacteria. The child arrived at the emergency room with rapidly developing symptoms, was diagnosed, and his condition is now defined as stable. Dr. Diana Tscher, director of the pediatric department, stated that this is one of the most violent, dangerous, and rapidly progressing infections in pediatric medicine, which can attack a healthy person and lead within hours to system collapse, septic shock, and life-threatening danger. The article recalls a fatal case from last July, when a 3-year-old toddler died at Dana Hospital in Ichilov despite resuscitation efforts. The article then reviews the nature of the bacteria, which resides in the throat and nose of some children and is usually harmless, but in rare cases becomes violent, enters the bloodstream, and causes meningitis and long-term damage. The Health Ministry and the Pediatric Association recommend vaccination for all children up to age two. The "Bexsero" vaccine was not included in the health basket this year, but a support test of 17 million shekels from the Health Ministry budget was decided upon, amid fears of an outbreak.