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What
is meningococcal disease?
Vaccine can prevent 4 types of meningococcal
disease
Who should get vaccinated and when?
Who should not get vaccinated or wait
What are the risks of getting vaccinated?
What if there is a serious reaction?
How can
I learn more?
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness, caused by a bacteria. It is
the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in children 2-18 years old in
the United States. Meningitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord
coverings. Meningococcal disease can also cause blood infections.
About 2,600 people get meningococcal disease each year in the U.S. 10-15%
of these people die, in spite of treatment with antibiotics. Of those who
live, another 10% lose their arms or legs, become deaf, have problems with
their nervous systems, become mentally retarded, or suffer seizures or
strokes.
Anyone can get meningococcal disease but it is most common in infants
less than one year of age, and in people with certain medical conditions.
College freshmen, particularly those who live in dormitories or residence
halls, have a slightly increased risk of getting meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal vaccine can prevent 4 types of
meningococcal disease.
These include
2 of the 3 types most common in the United States and a type which is the
main cause of epidemics in Africa. Meningococcal vaccine cannot prevent
all types of the disease but it does help to protect many people who might become sick if they
don't get the vaccine.
Drugs such as penicillin can be used to treat meningococcal infection.
Still, about 1 out of every ten people who get the disease dies from it,
and many others are affected for life. This is why it is important that
people with the highest risk for meningococcal disease get the vaccine.
Who should get meningococcal vaccine and when?
Meningococcal vaccine is not routinely recommended for most people. People
who should get the vaccine include:
• U.S. Military recruits
• People who might be affected during an outbreak
of certain types of meningococcal disease.
• Anyone traveling to, or living in, a part of the
world where meningococcal disease is common, such as
West Africa.
• Anyone who has a damaged spleen, or whose spleen
has been removed.
• Anyone who has terminal complement component
deficiency (an immune system disorder).
The vaccine should also be considered for:
• Some laboratory workers who are routinely exposed to
the meningococcal bacteria.
The vaccine may also be given to college students who choose to be
vaccinated. College freshmen, especially those who live in dormitories or
residence halls, and their parents should discuss the risks and benefits
of vaccination with their health care providers.
Meningococcal vaccine is usually not recommended for children under two
years of age. But under special circumstances it may be given to infants
as young as 3 months (the vaccine does not work as well in very young
children). Ask your health care provider for details.
How many doses?
-- For people 2 years of age and over: 1 dose
(Sometimes an additional dose is recommended
for people who continue to be at high risk. Ask
your provider.)
-- For children 3 months to 2 years of age who need
the vaccine: 2 doses, 3 months apart
Some people should not get
meningococcal vaccine or should wait
People should not get meningococcal vaccine if they have ever had a
serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of the vaccine.
People who are mildly ill at the time the shot is scheduled can still get
meningococcal vaccine. People with moderate or severe illnesses should
usually wait until they recover. Your provider can advise you.
Meningococcal vaccine may be given to pregnant women.
What are the risks from meningococcal vaccine?
A vaccine, like any medicine, is capable of causing serious problems, such
as severe allergic reactions. The risk of the meningococcal vaccine
causing serious harm, or death, is extremely small.
Getting meningococcal vaccine is much safer than getting the disease.
Mild problems
Some people who get meningococcal vaccine have mild
side effects, such as redness or pain where the shot was
given. These symptoms usually last for 1 -2 days.
A small percentage of people who receive the vaccine
develop a fever.
What if there is a serious reaction?
What should I look
for?
Look for any unusual condition, such as a severe allergic reaction, high
fever, or unusual behavior. If a serious allergic reaction occurred, it
would happen within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot. Signs of
a serious allergic reaction can include difficulty breathing,
weakness, hoarseness or wheezing, a fast heart beat, hives, dizziness,
paleness, or swelling of the throat.
What should I do?
• Call a doctor, or get the person to a doctor right away.
• Tell your doctor what happened, the date and time it
happened, and when the vaccination was given.
• Ask your health care provider to file a Vaccine
Adverse Events Reporting System (VAERS) form. Or
call VAERS yourself at 1-800-822-7967 or visit their
website at
http://www.vaers.org
How can I learn
more?
• Ask your doctor or nurse. They can give you the vaccine package insert
or suggest other
sources of information.
• Call your local or state health department's immunization program.
• Contact the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):
- Call 1-800-232-2522 (English)
- Call 1-800-232-0233 (Espanol)
- Visit the National Immunization Program' s website
at
www.cdc.gov/nip
- Visit the National Center for Infectious Disease's
meningococcal disease website at
www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm
- Visit CDC's Travelers Health website at
www.cdc.gov/travel
*Information
adapted from U.S. Department of Health & Human Services,
Center for disease Control and Prevention National Immunization
Program, Vaccine Information Sheet 7/28/03
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