Meningitis vaccines: What parents need to know

Meningitis can be a very scary infection — and vaccines can help prevent it. What is meningitis? The meninges are a membrane that covers and protects the brain and spinal cord. When that membrane gets inflamed, it’s called meningitis. One of the ways this inflammation can happen is from infection. Common symptoms of an infection of the meninges are fever, headache, and a stiff neck. There are many different germs that can infect the meninges. Viruses cause most cases, and while this can be serious, most people with viral meningitis get better without treatment. Some may not even realize they’ve had meningitis. Bacterial meningitis Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, can be deadly without immediate medical treatment. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, every year more than 2,000 people get bacterial meningitis, and about 500 of them die. Many different bacteria can cause meningitis. In the United States, the most common are Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B streptococcus, Neisseria meningitides, Haemophilus influenzae, and Listeria monocytogenes. We have vaccines to prevent against infections from Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Neisseria meningitidis. The first two are given in infancy as part of the regular vaccine series. The last, against Neisseria, is usually given in adolescence, although it is sometimes given earlier for children with certain health problems, before traveling to parts of the world where the infec...
Source: Harvard Health Blog - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Adolescent health Infectious diseases Parenting Vaccines Source Type: blogs