Queenslander’s Near-Death Experience in Japan Highlights Critical Vaccine Gap
Anna Gallo, a vibrant 24-year-old from Queensland, recently found herself on the precipice of death, a stark contrast to the dream holiday she was experiencing just weeks prior. Her journey through Japan, filled with snow-capped mountains, traditional kimonos, and lively karaoke sessions, took a terrifying turn on her final night. What began as a shivering spell in her Tokyo hotel room rapidly escalated into a life-threatening battle, leaving her in a coma and her family in Australia in a state of unbearable anguish.
The terrifying ordeal began on the evening of February 5th. Anna woke up feeling an intense chill, which quickly morphed into violent shaking and uncontrollable vomiting. Her partner, Liam McDonald, discovered her collapsed on the toilet, initially fearing the worst. While they initially suspected food poisoning and hoped to still catch their flight home, Liam’s growing concern was ignited by the appearance of a widespread red rash blooming across Anna’s body. This was a critical warning sign of septic shock, a severe complication where the body’s immune system dangerously attacks its own tissues and organs.
A Race Against Time
Liam’s swift action in calling an ambulance proved to be a lifesaver. Anna was in a delirious state, requiring her to be restrained on the stretcher during the journey to the hospital. She has since pieced together the harrowing events from the accounts of others, understanding the critical nature of the timely intervention. “The ambulance said if [Liam] hadn’t have got me there within two hours, I would have died,” Anna recounted, her voice remarkably clear despite the recent trauma.
At Tokyo’s National Center for Global Health and Medicine, doctors diagnosed Anna with meningococcal B, a particularly aggressive strain that had rapidly progressed to meningitis and septic shock. She was placed in a medically induced coma for three days, her life hanging by a thread, sustained by machines and powerful intravenous antibiotics. These lost days remain a blank in her memory, but are etched indelibly into the minds of her parents.
A Nightmare Unfolds Across Continents
Back in Atherton, Queensland, Anna’s parents, Ghis and Adrian Gallo, were enduring their own nightmare. Liam provided them with regular, albeit increasingly worrying, updates. The final, devastating call came as they stood at the check-in counter at Cairns International Airport, ready to fly to their daughter’s side.
“The doctor told us her blood pressure was now dangerously low, she’d had a blood transfusion, and she needed to be intubated,” Ghis recalled. “We asked if she was going to be OK? He said, ‘I don’t know.’” The next eight hours, spent flying over the Pacific Ocean, were a torturous period of uncertainty, with the parents repeatedly questioning the reality of their situation, the enormity of the crisis dawning with every passing mile.
From ICU to High Care: A Glimmer of Hope
Upon their arrival in Tokyo, the news remained grim. A doctor candidly warned them that Anna might never wake from her coma and, if she did survive, there was a significant risk of permanent brain damage. Ghis admitted her initial anger at such a prognosis, though she understood the medical necessity of such frank discussions. She described her daughter’s condition as being akin to scenes from medical dramas, tubes and wires connecting her to life-support.
The following day brought a moment of sheer panic when they arrived at the ICU to find Anna’s room empty. Ghis’s immediate fear was of a turn for the worse. However, the empty bed signified a positive development. Anna had been moved from intensive care to high care. “She was sitting in bed, her eyes were open, and the tube was out,” Ghis recounted, relief flooding her voice. “She was awake.”
The Stark Reality of Australia’s Vaccine Shortfall
Now preparing to return home, Anna faces a challenging recovery. Necrotic lesions on her feet and legs, a painful consequence of the bacteria’s attack, have left her unable to walk. These serve as a constant reminder of how close she came to succumbing to the illness.
A significant point of reflection for Anna is the nature of her vaccination history. “I was vaccinated for meningococcal back in school, but not for type B, which is the kind I got,” she stated. This highlights a critical gap in Australia’s public health strategy. While Queensland has offered free state-funded immunisation programs for meningococcal C since 2003, and expanded to cover A, C, W, and Y strains in 2017, free vaccinations for the particularly dangerous type B strain, using the Bexsero vaccine, only began rolling out in March 2024. South Australia is the only other state with a comparable program.
Dr. Paul Griffin, Director of Infectious Diseases at Mater Health Services, emphasised the importance of Anna’s experience as a wake-up call for a more consistent national immunisation program. “Because it’s relatively rare, people perceive the risk as low,” he explained. “But the consequences can be devastating. We need as many people protected as we can.” This is particularly pertinent given that Japan, where Anna contracted the illness, has a very low incidence of the disease, reporting fewer than five confirmed cases annually between 2003 and 2020. In contrast, Australia recorded 109 cases in 2024 alone.
A Future Cherished
Just a week and a half after waking from her coma, Anna’s condition has significantly improved. Her hair is brushed and plaited, and her brain scans have returned perfect results. While the lesions will take time to heal and leave permanent scarring, the most crucial outcome is that she is alive. Anna, who had just started a new job at Griffith University on the Gold Coast before her trip, is hopeful about returning to work soon. “I’m just so grateful,” she expressed. “I’ll definitely cherish every day from now on.” Her harrowing ordeal serves as a powerful testament to the unpredictable nature of severe infections and underscores the vital importance of comprehensive vaccination policies.
