Children in Uppsala died of TBE – were fully vaccinated

earthpressnews
Children in Uppsala died of TBE were fully vaccinated

Updated 17.20 | Published 17.19

share-arrowShare

unsaveSave

expand-left

full screen TBE is a viral disease spread by ticks. Photo: Aftonbladet / 85443

The child was fully vaccinated against TBE.

Despite that, the child fell ill and later died of meningitis.

The incident has now been lex Maria-notified.

  • A 9-year-old child, fully vaccinated against TBE, died of meningitis in Uppsala in October 2023, even though samples showed adequate protection from the vaccine.
  • The incident has been lex Maria reported and an investigation points to incomplete documentation, stressed doctors and understaffing during weekends as possible causes.
  • The Inspectorate for Care and Care (IVO) has assessed the seriousness of the incident as “catastrophic”.

    • ⓘ The summary is made with the support of AI tools from OpenAI and quality assured by Aftonbladet. Read our AI policy here.

    Show more

    chevron-down

    A nine-year-old previously healthy child falls ill with a headache in October 2023. The child has had many ticks, the last a few days before the illness. The child is fully vaccinated against TBE and samples show antibodies with adequate protection.

    A few days later, the child seeks help at the children’s outpatient clinic in Uppsala. The headache is interpreted as a migraine.

    The next day, they come back when the headache has gotten worse. The child is x-rayed and may undergo neurological tests. Nothing abnormal is found and the child has no fever either. They are sent home again.

    Another day later, the child starts convulsing and is taken to the pediatric intensive care unit, where the child dies.

    Now the University Hospital makes a report according to lex Maria.

    expand-left

    full screen The child was fully vaccinated against TBE. Despite that, the child fell ill and later died of meningitis. ATTENTION! Genre picture. Photo: Naina Helén Jåma / TT News Agency

    The degree of severity is assessed as catastrophic

    The survey states: “Underlying reason: Treatment is perceived as doctors being stressed. Understaffed on the weekend.”

    Documentation and report are also not complete. Journal entries are not printed on weekends.

    expand-left

    full screen After the death, the Academic Hospital has made a report according to lex Maria. Photo: Stina Stjernkvist/TT

    “Information that the patient had a pause in breathing has not appeared in over-reporting and is not available to read. Staff feel that the information transfer can become a bit of a ‘whispering game'”.

    The probability of recurrence is assessed as small, but the degree of severity is assessed as catastrophic, according to Ivo, the Inspectorate for Care and Care.

    afbl-general-01