From Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels Heaven and Earth Bound, Inc. founder/director:

 

As the mother of an only child who died with, Meningococcal Meningitis and someone who has worked hard to educate on this disease and get immunizations recommended.

 

I congratulate the recommendations by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to vaccinate 11 and 12 year olds.

 

We have to make sure the medical profession is educated completely and accurately on this disease and the vaccines to complete this life saving process.

 

So many children and young adults suffer life long illness due to meningitis. They are left with multiple amputations, neurological problems, deafness, blindness and severe brain and other organ damage.

 

Many comments have been made both past and present about the cost being high for vaccine. What is the cost of a life or living with the emotional and physical pain caused by this disease? Not to mention the financial stress it puts on families, the government and insurance companies to provide life term care of a victim.

 

In our country we have a saying, "No Child Left Behind."

Many of our kids have already been left behind from meningitis.

It is our hope with this new vaccine, our kids will not have to fear this any longer.

 

We would like to say thank you to all those parents who have worked so hard to accomplish this, to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, who took the time to hear our pleas and to the pharmaceutical companies our there who continue to do research and provide life saving vaccines to protect us all.

 

We however must remember that our work is not finished. Infants and smaller children are still dying and being debilitated from this disease and we still have serogroup B, of this bacteria which this vaccine does not cover and currently not covered by any vaccine approved in the United States.

 

To quote meningitis survivor, Helen Keller, Alone we can do nothing, together we can do anything."  We must all work together to finish this important job we have started.

 

Meningitis Angels will continue to educate on this horrible disease and prevention and serve as an organization to bring calm and peace to those victims and their families we call Meningitis Angels.

 

 

Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels, Founder/Executive Director and Ryan's Mom

Please note this press release may be copied or redistributed but may not be altered from original script without permission of the writer. fmilley@aol.com