The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now recommends routine meningococcal conjugate (MCV4) vaccination of children 11 to 12 years old, for those who have not previously been vaccinated before entering high school at about age 15, and for college freshmen living in the close quarters of dormitories. Also, all other adolescents who wish to reduce their risk of disease can elect to receive the vaccine. The recommendation is designed to help vaccinate those who are at the highest risk for meningococcal disease.
How Dangerous Is It?
Meningococcal disease strikes up to 3,000 Americans, killing 300 people every year. Ten to 12 percent of people with meningococcal disease die, and among survivors, up to 15 percent can suffer long-term permanent disabilities including hearing loss, loss of a limb, or brain damage. The disease often begins with symptoms that can be mistaken for common illnesses, such as the flu. Meningococcal disease is particularly dangerous because it progresses rapidly and can kill within hours.
The new vaccine, licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, is expected to offer longer protection than previous vaccines. It is a single shot, and the most common reaction is a sore arm. However, it does not protect people against meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B bacteria. This serogroup of bacteria causes one-third of meningococcal cases in the United States. More than half of the cases among infants under the age of 1 year are caused by type B, for which no vaccine is licensed or available in the United States. |
