'It's so cruel': Baby killed by meningococcal disease in just two hours

An Australian family is heartbroken after their baby boy contracted meningococcal disease and died in just two hours.

Jordan Braddock, 6 months, hadn't been vaccinated for meningococcal B-strain after his parents couldn't afford the $350 vaccine.

On Saturday night when the South Australian parents put him to bed he was smiling and enjoying his bottle.

But by morning, Jordan was limp, quiet and listless in his cot.

His mum, in a state of desperation, rushed him to hospital.

Little Jordan died just two hours later, after the rash started to show up just 30 minutes after he was admitted to the emergency ward.

He had stopped breathing as doctors were preparing to fly him to Adelaide, but despite their frantic attempts, he couldn't be saved.

A family has been left grief stricken after their youngest child, six-month old Jordan Braddock, contracted meningococcal and died within two hours. Photo / 7 News / Go Fund Me

Jordan's father Doc Braddock posted on Facebook expressing his grief at the loss of his boy.

"Why us ... it's so cruel," he wrote.

The status had a picture attached that read "there's a difference between saying goodbye and letting go".

"Goodbye is I'll see you again when I'm ready to hold your hand and when you're ready to hold mine. Letting go is I'll miss your hand, I realised it's not mine to hold and I will never hold it again."

Paul Goodfellow, who survived meningococcal disease, told 7 News the vaccine needs to be more affordable.

"It's just horrible, it shouldn't happen," he said.

"There's a medication, there's something you can have for it, so I really think that it should be available to anyone and everyone."

Jordan died only two hours after a meningococcal rash broke out on his body. Photo / 7 News

Doctors say vaccinations should begin when a baby is 2 months old but Jordan's family, who couldn't afford the $350 cost, said they didn't know how deadly the disease could be.

The family has set up a GoFundMe to help pay funeral costs.

In New Zealand, several vaccines are available against different groups of meningococcal disease – A, C, Y and W135. The vaccines are only free to people who either don't have a spleen or whose spleen isn't working, but they're available to buy through general practices.

District health boards may also pay for meningococcal disease immunisation for public health purposes such as a disease outbreak.

How is it spread?

Meningococcal bacteria are difficult to catch as they don't live long outside the body. They pass from one person to another through secretions from the nose or throat, during close or prolonged contact, for example:

• By coughing or sneezing (by droplet spread)
• By kissing
• By sharing eating or drinking utensils, toothbrushes, pacifiers.
• Basic steps like covering your nose or mouth when you sneeze or cough, and washing and drying your hands can help reduce the chance of spreading the bacteria that can cause illness.

Who is most at risk?

Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but it is more common in:

• Babies and young children
• Teenagers and young adults
• People with a weak immune system – for example those having chemotherapy treatment or have HIV
• Close contacts of meningococcal disease cases (e.g. same household)
• Those having other respiratory infections (e.g. flu)
• People living in shared accommodation such as halls of residence (university), boarding school and hostels
• Those living in overcrowded housing
• Those exposed to tobacco smoke.

It is possible to get meningitis more than once.