Meningococcal Vaccine
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease happens when Neisseria meningitidis, a type of bacteria, causes an infection in someone. It spreads when people share spit or saliva, and roughly 1 in 10 people have this bacteria in their throat. Meningococcal bacteria causes problems when it spreads to other parts of the body.
The most common meningococcal infections are meningitis (brain/spinal cord infections) and bloodstream infections. These are serious infections that present with flu-like symptoms and quickly worsen. Even with treatment, about 10-15% of patients die, and 1-5% will live with long-term disabilities.
Luckily, meningococcal infections are entirely preventable and 3 vaccines (MenACWY, MenB, and MenABCWY) provide safe and effective treatment against them.
How does the meningococcal vaccine protect Southwest Florida?
In the United States, meningococcal disease is most commonly diagnosed in Children younger than 1, adolescents aged 16-23, and seniors 65 and older. Meningococcal vaccines are essential in protecting our youth and older residents from serious and preventable meningococcal infections.
How up-to-date is this information?
The information on this page was last verified in August of 2024.
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