Meryl gets confused about the “vaccine for earaches”

Meryl, not for the first time, gets a little confused about viruses, biology, physiology and…well, everything really!

A vaccine for earaches?! say wha?! Oh Meryl!

The Pneumococcal vaccine is actually to prevent hundred of children every year from getting pnuemonia, meningitis and septicaemia (infection in your bloodstream which leads to multi-organ failure).

“In Australia in 2002 there were 2271 proven cases and 175 deaths from pneumococcal disease[9] . Of these, 761 occurred in children under five years of age, 9 of whom died. There are more cases of pneumococcal disease but often it is difficult to confirm the diagnosis. It is estimated that the pneumococcus is responsible for causing about 70 cases of meningitis annually in Australia and about 700 cases of septicaemia in children under 5 years.”
http://www.meningitis.com.au/about_meningitis/pneumococcal_meningitis.phtml

In 2004 there were 701 cases of Invasive Pneumoccocal in children under 5
The vaccine was introduced in 2005
In 2006 there were 196 cases of Invasive pneumoccocal in children under 5
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-cdi3001b.htm
http://www.health.gov.au/internet/main/publishing.nsf/Content/cda-cdi3201c.htm

all for a bloody earache eh?!