When Ashlee Dahlberg\u2019s 8-year-old son, Liam, came home from school with a headache, she never imagined it would be their last night together.<\/p>\n
By morning, Liam was barely responsive. At the hospital, doctors found his brain and spinal cord overwhelmed by a rare bacterial infection: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), which quickly developed into deadly meningitis.<\/p>\n
Despite being fully vaccinated, doctors suspect Liam contracted the infection from an unvaccinated child\u2014an increasing risk as vaccination rates decline.<\/p>\n
Hib, often misunderstood as the flu, can lead to rapid, life-threatening conditions like meningitis and sepsis. \u201cYou did everything right,\u201d doctors told Ashlee. \u201cBut there was nothing we could do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ashlee now urges parents to vaccinate, saying, \u201cI feel I failed my child because I couldn\u2019t protect him.\u201d<\/p>\n
Before the Hib vaccine’s introduction in 1985, the infection was often fatal or left children with lasting damage. While the vaccine is about 95% effective, it only protects those who receive it.<\/p>\n
A GoFundMe in Liam\u2019s memory describes him as a bright, kind boy who touched many lives. The fundraiser has raised over $54,000 to help cover medical costs.<\/p>\n
Globally, Hib vaccination rates remain uneven\u2014due in part to high vaccine costs. While 92% of people in developed countries are vaccinated, rates in other regions, like the Western Pacific, are as low as 33%.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
When Ashlee Dahlberg\u2019s 8-year-old son, Liam, came home from school with a headache, she never imagined it would be their last night together. By morning, Liam was barely responsive. At the hospital, doctors found his brain and spinal cord overwhelmed by a rare bacterial infection: Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), which quickly developed into deadly…<\/p>\n