A PERSHORE mother has backed a new vaccine after her young son spent a month in hospital battling a deadly form of meningitis.

Annabel Forse, of Victoria Terrace, Pershore, took her 18-month-old son Cole, to their GP on Wednesday, May 31, with what she thought was a cold, after he had been suffering with a high temperature and was behaving in a lethargic manner.

But after the visit to the doctors, it became obvious that the problem was a lot more serious than first assumed and Cole was sent to Worcestershire Royal Hospital, where within hours he was diagnosed with pneumococcal meningitis.

This form of meningitis is known to be considerably more serious than other major types and 20 per cent of those who contract it will die. Even if it is survived there is the risk of the person being left brain damaged, deaf or with cerebral palsy.

Luckily for Cole though, he made it through and was allowed home at the end of June and is on the way to a speedy recovery.

After her ordeal Mrs Forse believes that every parent should take advantage of the new vaccine against pneumococcal meningitis, when it is introduced into the childhood immunisation programme on Monday, September 4, this year.

She said: "I know there are concerns that children already have too many vaccines, but I would urge all parents to let their child be vaccinated against this type of meningitis.

"I wouldn't want any parent to have to go through what I went through when Cole was ill. It was terrifying."