Letter submitted to the Houston Chronicle re: A Mother's Message - She pushes for meningitis immunizations - as yet unpublished

As parents we want what is best for our children, and we will do whatever we can to protect them. In 2001 an apparent “outbreak” of meningitis struck fear in the hearts of many parents in the Greater Houston area. Suddenly we were hearing reports of waiting lists in the pediatricians’ offices for the vaccine. Long lines at Kelsey-Seybold Clinics could be viewed on local news reports.

I was concerned about the safety of the vaccine even though several of our friends had received them. My husband contacted the Texas Department of Health, and we spoke with several pediatricians in an effort to make the best possible decision for our family. Finally on January 26, 2001 we vaccinated our children with the Menomune vaccine. On January 28th my youngest daughter quietly lay down on our sofa and drifted off to sleep. Approximately an hour later she awoke with blood red eyes, severely flushed, and unable to move. Realizing something was terribly wrong, I ran to her while calling for help. She looked up at me, barely able to talk, and said, “Momma, please help me.” She could not move her neck without crying out in pain, and she was almost too hot to touch. I administered Tylenol, soon followed by Advil, and we went to the Emergency Room at Memorial-Hermann hospital in The Woodlands. Her temperature was 105.3 degrees.

She complained of neck and back pain in the car, moaned, and drifted off again, unresponsive. As I ran through the door, I could not help but notice the numbers of parents lining the halls, holding their young children. There was little standing room left. Many of the children appeared flushed and lethargic as well. My daughter was only responding to painful stimuli. A rash from a previous condition called Urticaria Pigmentosa had worsened severely. Her clinical symptoms looked like meningitis, and we were rushed to a room immediately. My mother met us at the hospital to watch our other two children. Her twin brother and older sister were praying to God to help her. Despite our best efforts to allay their fears, our children knew their sister was in danger. We all feared the worst.

Thankfully she appeared to recover with the help of IV fluids and time. Her provisional diagnosis from the ER physician was “vaccine reaction”. She lost her memory completely, and it took two weeks for her to relearn her name and age.

It took months for her to recover much of what she had learned. She had difficulty with her balance and ability to perform simple tasks. She continues to suffer from fatigue, joint pain, mood swings, and memory loss. She was unable to attend Kindergarten and was placed in a preschool program for children with disabilities instead.

I was to discover later that my daughter’s illness was not as unusual as one might think. Other children in the area had similar symptoms following the meningitis vaccine. One of our neighbors was vaccinated a few days after my daughter. Her high fever two days after the vaccine may have caused her subsequent hearing loss. I have a Bachelors degree in Biomedical Science and a Masters in Health and Physical Education. I believed whole-heartedly in vaccines. We are told that they are a safe and necessary part of growing up. As a medical professional I never questioned vaccine safety. I took courses in immunology and microbiology where vaccines are heralded as one of the greatest medical advances of all time. Safety issues were never addressed. My entire belief system has been turned upside down as I have now witnessed several reactions in my children. I have discovered that the laws in place to protect our children are actually hurting many.

The loss of a child is devastating under any circumstances. I truly feel for those who have lost loved ones to meningitis. I believe that vaccines should be made available for those individuals who desire to be vaccinated. If vaccines work as we are told, those who are vaccinated should be protected. Mass vaccination is not the answer. I respect Frankie Milley’s decision to take action, as I have done the same. She feels the need to alert Texans to the risks of meningitis, just as I feel the need to alert the public to the hidden dangers of vaccines. I was not allowed informed consent because I was not truly informed. Having testified in Austin on behalf of parents who have not been allowed a choice, I have seen the politics involved, and I am dismayed by the blatant disregard for children’s lives. We are individuals, each with our own unique thumbprint. No two people are the same. No two people will react the same.

Virginia Young

The Woodlands, TX