Parents of London student Paawan who died in a little less than 48 hours after falling ill with meningitis, have asked young people to get shots immediately. Jas and Baldev Purba, who lost their 20 year old girl last year, said her loss inspired them to raise awareness about the dangers of the disease. Paawan had missed the Men ACQY vaccine which is offered free to teens and university students since 2015.
“Paawan was just about to start the second year of her pharmacology degree at the University of East London last August when she suddenly became ill. At first her symptoms seemed nothing more than flu. Less than 48 hours after he first symptoms appeared, she died in hospital. She had contracted the MenW strain of meningitis. Our loss is especially hard given how young Paawan was. Words will never do justice to how truly amazing she was. As a family we want to do what we can to help raise awareness of the Men ACQY vaccine that is now available to people Paawan's age, so that maybe we can prevent this happening to another family,” her mother said.
One of the most aggressive and life-threatening forms of meningococcal diseases, MenW leaves its survivors with life-altering disabilities, including brain damage and loss of limbs. Early symptoms include headache, vomiting, limb pain, fever, and cold hands and feet.
