How do you choose Meningococcal meningitis vaccination? When does your child need it?If these are questions that have worried you then read on.
Meningitis is a scary disease and Meningococcal meningitis is the bad boy of all meningitis. But unlike in movies when the hero can save you every time, Meningococcal meningitis behaves like Thanos of Avengers Infinity War. It has a destructive course. As a parent and doctor, protection with a vaccine is my way of prevention and I recommend this course of action to every parent so that this dangerous disease is kept at bay.
Meningococcal meningitis can kill
Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) is a rare but potentially devastating bacterial infection. Despite advances in medical care, the disease can kill in a matter of hours! (7) One strain is known to cause horrific disability and mortality in up to 50% cases.
As mothers know, when children start playschool or nursery school, the chances of getting infected are higher. Even in other age groups, overcrowding increases the chances of infection. If someone in the household is infected or is a carrier, it puts other members of the family at risk.
Since you cannot avoid places or situations, the best way to protect against deadly diseases is a vaccination.(1,4,5)
Apart from that, you can also look out for the symptoms of Meningococcal meningitis, which are similar to the common cold and hence easily dismissed by parents. What are these symptoms? Fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, and confusion.(6)
I know the above sounds scary but when we became parents, scary was something that came with the bundle of joy. The point of this is not to scare you but to make you aware.
Start early and give your child Meningococcal meningitis vaccine
First and foremost, I must stress to all parents that Meningococcal meningitis is a serious infection with a very high mortality rate, hence the need to protect against it is greater.
I know there have been talks about the efficacy of vaccines but they are here for our protection and they help us to fight deadly diseases. And I say this as a mother and a doctor, if protection is available, I will take that option and tell my patients the same.
To protect against Meningococcal disease I tell my patients and parents to vaccinate children as young as 9 months old. Talk to your pediatrician and schedule a vaccination.(4,5)
Vaccines are good
In our quest for a healthy and safe upbringing for our children, we need to stay alert. I tell all parents to be armed with the correct information about fever, cold and everything in between and not to fall prey to rumors and gossip.
We will do anything to protect our children from harm and getting them vaccinated against deadly diseases is the right step towards that goal.
Join the movement against Meningococcal meningitis today!
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Brand Disclaimer: The views expressed in the blog content are independent and unbiased views solely of the blogger. This is a part of public awareness initiative on meningitis supported by Sanofi Pasteur India. Sanofi Pasteur bears no responsibility for the content of the blog. One should consult their healthcare provider for any health related information. This article is meant to help create awareness and spread knowledge. Any decision regarding your health and child’s health should be done after consultation with your doctor. While all efforts are made to keep articles updated, the speed of research in these fields mean the information often may change when more research knowledge is available. Healthwealthbridge or the authors should be in no way held responsible in that case.
References:
1) Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Prevention and Control of Meningococcal Disease. Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP). MMWR Recomm Rep. 2005;54:1-21.
https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/public/index.html
2) 2. Granoff DM, Harrison D, Borrow R. Meningococcal Vaccines. In: Plotkin SA, Orenstein WA, Offit PA, editors. Vaccines. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Saunders Elsevier; 2008. p. 399-434.
3. Pelton SI, Gilmet GP. Expanding prevention of invasive meningococcal disease. Expert Rev Vaccines. 2009; 8:717-27.
4) Safety and Immunogenicity of a Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MenACYW-DT): A Multicenter, Open-label, Non-randomized, Phase III Clinical Trial
*Sangeeta Yadav, #MV Manglani, $DH Ashwath Narayan, #S Sharma, $HS Ravish, ^R Arora, ‡V Bosch Castells, *S Arya, and ‡P Oste
https://www.indianpediatrics.net/june2014/june-451-456.htm
5) CDC. Meningococcal disease – Medical conditions risk factors. Accessed February 2019.
https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/risk-medical.html
6) 4. Sinclair D, Preziosi MP, Jacob John T, Greenwood B. The epidemiology of meningococcal disease in India. Trop Med Int Health. 2010;15:1421-35.
7) Mechanism of meningeal invasion by Neisseria meningitidis
Mathieu Coureuil, 1, 2 Olivier Join-Lambert, 1, 2, 3 Hervé Lécuyer, 1, 2, 3 Sandrine Bourdoulous, 2, 4, 5 Stefano Marullo, 2, 4, 5 and Xavier Nassif 1
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3396695/
8) https://www.indianpediatrics.net/dec2013/dec-1095-1108.htm
9.Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics