Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended Wednesday June 27, 2007 that all 11 to 18 year olds be vaccinated against potentially deadly bacterial meningitis with their routine vaccinations. Only one shot is required and they say you cannot contract the disease from the vaccination.

The previous recommendation was for 15 to 18 year olds to be vaccinated, and was apparently based on limited supplies of the vaccine according to Baker, who is president of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases. However, there now seems to be a sufficient supply of the vaccine to protect more adolescents from becoming infected with this potentially vaccine-preventable disease.

The recommendation by the committee is that teens and preteens be routinely vaccinated with Menactra, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) made by Sanofi Pasteur. This vaccine has been proven to be 83 percent effective in preventing meningococcal cases among adolescents, according to the National Meningitis Association.
Meningococcal meningitis, which is also called Meningococcal disease and Spinal meningitis is a rare bacterial infection killing 10 to 12 percent of those infected. It leaves approximately 20 percent of its survivors with permanent disabilities, such as brain damage, kidney disease, hearing loss, or loss of limbs.

Meningitis is spread by sharing a drink, utensils, kissing, coughing, and sneezing by exchanging respiratory droplets. Being in crowded living situations, such as dormitories, boarding schools, overnight camps or having irregular sleep patterns put adolescents and young adults at increased risk for the disease.

Meningitis causes the swelling of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord or blood poisoning, called meningococcemia. The most common type of meningitis is viral meningitis, which you get when a virus enters the body through the nose or mouth and travels to the brain. Bacterial meningitis is rare, and typically begins with the bacteria that cause the infection with symptoms similar to the flu.

However, it can block blood vessels in the brain, which can lead to stroke, brain damage, and harm other organs. Meningitis can progress rapidly so you should seek medical care quickly if you have a sudden fever or a severe headache, accompanied by a stiff neck. Symptoms may also include nausea, vomiting, exhaustion and some people develop a rash after the disease has taken hold

When meningococcal disease is suspected or diagnosed, high doses of antibiotics are administered to the patient and those who had close contact with the infected person. Early treatment is imperative to reduce the risk of death, however it does not guarantee a full recovery, which is why immunization is so important.

NMA, National Meningitis Association, will launch an informational mailing to parents of 11 and 12 year olds in all 50 states to encourage them to seek immunization for their children.

According to their web site the NMA is a national nonprofit public charity founded by parents of children who have died or live with permanent disabilities from meningococcal disease. NMA's mission is to educate families, medical professionals and others about meningococcal disease and prevention approaches.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
American College Health Association
National Foundation for Infectious Diseases

Photo Credit
Photo credit
National Meningitis Association