While bacterial meningitis can cause serious health problems, multiple effective vaccines can protect all age groups against its most common causes.
We often come across reports of outbreak of meningitis that turn deadly from time to time. But what exactly is bacterial meningitis and how can you protect yourself and your community from it? That is the topic for today’s blog post.
What is meningitis?
Meningitis refers to inflammation around the brain; bacterial meningitis refers to those cases that are caused by bacteria (as opposed to viruses or other causes). Meningitis can present with fevers, headaches, neck stiffness, difficulty with bright lights, and changes to mental status. While there are many bacteria that can cause this, one in particular grabs the news cycle: Meningococcal meningitis. Meningococci, or more formally Neisseria meningitidis, is a bacteria that can cause meningitis. Meningococcal disease can also cause many other diseases including sepsis (bloodstream infection).
While Meningococcal disease is not the only cause for bacterial meningitis, it accounts for a large proportion of cases, particularly in certain patient populations. Even though meningococcal meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, somewhere between 10-15% of all patients with it can die from it. One in five survivors will have long term disabilities including brain damage, deafness, and nervous system problems.
Which meningitis vaccine is right for you?
Fortunately, we have more than one vaccine to help protect against meningococcal disease. These vaccines can be broadly broken down into two groups:
- The first group, conjugate vaccines, are directed at serogroups A, C, W and Y of the bacteria. There are three vaccines in this group: Menactra, Menveo and MenQuadfi.
- The second group of vaccines are directed at serogroup B and we have two under this category: Bexero and Trumenba.
There are nuances between the vaccines in terms of age groups covered. Broadly speaking, the group B vaccines are directed at adolescents and young adults, while the conjugate vaccines are applicable for a much broader age group, from infants to older adults.
Who’s at risk for meningitis?
Finally, certain patient groups are considered high risk for meningitis, including those with HIV, immune deficiency like complement deficiency, and those who have had their spleens removed.
While it can be hard to glean which vaccine might be applicable to you, it is not difficult to bring this up with a clinician who can review your history and determine if you could benefit from any of these vaccines. If you are a public health, community, or private sector leader looking to keep your population safe and healthy from vaccine-preventable disease, Primary.Health can help you launch large scale vaccination and diagnostic testing clinics. Contact our Health team today.
Disclaimer: This blog content and linked materials are not intended as individual medical advice, diagnosis or treatment, and should not be considered as such. Any readers with medical concerns should contact a licensed healthcare provider. This blog is provided for informational purposes only.
