Survivor: Meningococcal Sepsis Nearly Killed Her at Age Two
Munich – November 03, 2026 -- Germany's Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) recommends meningococcal B vaccination for all children from two months until their fifth birthday, and health insurers across Germany cover the cost. For Stefanie, who survived meningococcal sepsis at age two, the shots did not yet exist.
A harmless-looking fever turned life-threatening within hours
Stefanie was playing in the garden that afternoon when a fever set in. Her mother assumed an ordinary infection. During the night, the child's condition became critical: her fever climbed to 41 degrees, she stopped responding, and red spots appeared on her skin.
Her mother fetched a doctor who lived nearby, and he recognized the seriousness at once. In the hospital, doctors diagnosed meningococcal sepsis. Her circulation had already begun to fail. Doctors later told her mother that 30 minutes more would have left them unable to help.