Meningococcal meningitis, Ludovico’s story in the short in your hands and the role of vaccines (with a detailed guide)

«Ludovico is a Sicilian boy with a dream common to many other teenagers: to become a footballer. During a game of the promotion championship, his excellent performance convinces the talent scout of his heart team to convene him to sign the contract to play in the Catania team. It is the realization of a dream. But precisely on the day of the Ludovico signature he feels bad and instead of signing he is hospitalized urgently in the hospital ». To tell the very first scenes of the short film In your hands And Andrea Vulcanodirector of the short presented during the first edition of the Short Med_cinefilm competition promoted by Italian society of rheumatology (Sir) and fromInstitute of Rumatology History (ISR).

“The goal of the competition was to bring to the attention of the public, through one of the most accessible and immediate communication means such as cinema, stories of illness that remain hidden, silent and misunderstood”, underlines Professor Andrea DoriaSir president as well as one of the jurors of the prize, which he adds “even if they do not always manifest themselves visible, many pathologies deeply influence the life of the sick and those who assist them, modeling their daily lives, emotions and social interactions”.

When the facts precipitate

«The narrative resumes with Ludovico who wakes up after a few months in a private clinic: the health personnel tells him that they managed to save his life, but not the legs that have been amputated to block the meningococcal meningitis who seriously endangered his life, “says Vulcano. The story narrated in the short is inspired by a true story, namely that of the cousin of the interpreter on the set of Ludovico or Simone tightened. “Ludovico, therefore, realizes that he is alive, but that he could no longer live that existence he had always dreamed of; No more football, no more run behind a ball … Where to find the strength to start again and, above all, to what reason do you appeal to give meaning to this new and unexpected existence? One day, left alone to wander around the city, Ludovico angry with everyone comes across an art gallery where the picture of a street artist hit him. To observe that picture there is also Lucrezia, who attends the same high school of Ludovico. Just she pushes him to look inside and ask himself because he is fascinated by that work: he convinces him to enroll in a painting course and also in the competition in which you can participate by attending it ».

Life in your own hands

“However, Lucrezia must leave for study reasons, and Ludovico is alone again, he literally remains with his life in his hands to ask himself what to do with it”, he explains the director who adds: “Ludovico relives the moments in which life was still full of possibilities, before the disease, when he was strong, free, and the world seemed to be opened in front of him. Above all, the dreams of a life next to Lucrezia occupy the scene: Ludovico imagines happy with her, far from the suffering present. These moments take on an almost surreal quality, in which everything is perfect, as he would have liked it to be ».

The short film immerses the viewer in Ludovico’s thoughts, in a continuous flow between past and present, between what was and what he still hopes to be able to be.

“Participation in the Ludovico competition and his victory, with Lucrezia who returns from his journey of study to enjoy the joy of the milestone crossed by Ludovico, returns the sense of a life different from that dreamy, but which thanks to courage and obstinacy, despite the difficulties finding a way to do it”, concludes Andrea Vulcano. The short participated in theIstanbul Sport Film Festivalwhere the theme of overcoming the limits found a perfect frame and al Vision 2030 of Noto, dedicated to works that imagine and build new future horizons.

Meningococcal meningitis, what you need to know

Ludovico’s life was stopped and upset by meningito meningocchica disease that can affect any age group, although children aged 0-4 are more at risk. You can get sick, however, even later: teenagers and young adults, from 15 to 24 years old, represent the other range of population at risk. In Italy the most common form is the B, responsible for over 50% of cases of bacterial meningitis in children under 5 years. Other strains are often called into question, in particular the C and the W, both very aggressive, and the Y. Unfortunately, meningitis can cause death within 24 hours: every year are about a million people around the world. Even when you can promptly diagnose the infection, 10% of affected patients are unable to save themselves and those who survive, not infrequently suffer damage and report permanent disabilities such as deafness and brain damage. Meningococcal infection often causes septicemia, the antibiotics available cannot eradicate it and that’s why it is not uncommon for the only way to block septicemia is the amputation of one or more arts as it happened in Ludovico.

Meningitis, the importance of vaccines: which are and for whom

«The only weapon at our disposal to counteract meningitis or meningococcal sepsis is the vaccine. Specifically, there are two available: the quadrivalent against the meningococcus of ACYW serogruppi and the one against the Meningococcus of serogroup B.

The national vaccination prevention plan (PNPV) 2023-2025, under the competence of the Ministry of Health, was approved at the State-Regions Conference on August 2, 2023 and published in the Official Gazette on August 21, 2023 (General Series, n. 194 of August 21, 2023). For meningococcus, vaccinations are recommended for children and adolescents and for particular categories of subjects with pathological conditions “, he explains Paola Stefanelli Research Manager and Director of the Diseases Diseases preventable by the reference vaccine-laboratory, infectious diseases department, Istituto Superiore di Sanità.

“The Menacwy It is recommended to fulfill the 12th month of life. At the age of 11-12 years of life (and between 12 and 18 years) the ACWY tetravalent vaccination: a dose, starting from the fulfillment of the 12th year of life both for adolescents never vaccinated previously and already immunized in childhood with Menc or Menacwy»Species Dr. Stefanelli and adds that” for the vaccination against Menb the recommendations are: two -dose basic cycle + recall, at the completion of 3 months, 5 months and 15 months of life. However, it is possible to anticipate the first dose starting from the 2 months of life completed (with the second dose after at least two months and the recall in the second year of life at least two months from the primary cycle).
In case of delay in the first dose, however, between 6 and 11 months: Scheula 2+1 (two doses at least two months away plus a dose of recall in the second year of life with an interval of at least two months from the primary cycle); – Between 12 and 23 months Scheula 2+1 (two doses at least two months later a dose of recall between 12 and 23 months after the primary cycle); – ≥2 years, two doses at least a month later. Vaccination against meningococcus B: based on the epidemiological situation of the individual region/PA, the offer by age can be integrated, with cycle according to the type of vaccine used “.

Immunization with ACWY and B anti -dimening vaccines are also recommended, in people who suffer from particular pathologies, as the expert explains: «This is the case of people with type 2 diabetes, emogliBonopathies such as thalassemia and false anemia, or with serious chronic hepatopathies. For these patients, vaccination with Menacwy can start from the 2 months of life with three -dose vaccination cycle, of which the last one, however, after the completion of the year of life. The call is recommended after 5 years if the condition of increased risk persists ».

Anti-meningococcus vaccines, such as the majority of vaccines, cannot however provide 100%protection. “The quadrivalent vaccine, in particular, is able to guarantee total protection more than 80% of cases against the serogroup C, which has long been the most common, as well as the other serogruppi A, W, Y. also the vaccine against serogroup B has a good efficacy, especially towards symptomatic disease. Vaccination is therefore extremely important to avoid or at least reduce the risk of developing such a serious disease, “concludes Stefanelli.