Meningococcal Vaccine:

A Guide for Parents

 

The meningococcal vaccine protects against the meningococcal bacteria which can cause serious infections such as meningitis (pronounced men-in-ji-tis), a brain fluid infection, and blood stream infections. Although meningococcal infections are rare, they are very serious diseases that can cause death. Even with early treatment, there is a risk of getting serious complications. Fortunately, there is a vaccine against this disease. Read on to learn how you can protect your teen from meningococcal disease.

 

How does one get meningococcal disease?

The meningococcal bacteria is usually spread by coming in contact with respiratory secretions when an infected person coughs or sneezes or by having contact with saliva when drinking from a water bottle, sharing cigarettes, and kissing. The bacteria may live in the throat without causing any symptoms or may cause an infection of the blood or the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. The most common early symptoms are: high fever, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light, nausea, and vomiting.

 

Most types of Meningococcal Disease can be prevented with a vaccine.

 

Who is at risk for getting meningococcal disease?

Anybody at any age can get meningococcal disease. In fact, close to 3,000 people in the U.S have a serious infection with the meningococcal bacteria each year; 30% are teens and young adults. College students or anyone living in crowded living conditions are particularly at risk because the meningococcal bacteria are easily spread from one person to another.

 

How is meningococcal disease treated?

Meningococcal disease is treated with antibiotics such as penicillin. Even with treatment, one in ten people will die. For those who survive, 10-20% may have permanent damage such as deafness, seizures, mental retardation, or loss of fingers and toes. The best way to protect your teen against this serious disease is making sure she gets vaccinated!

 

What is the meningococcal vaccine?

There are three meningococcal vaccines that are available in the United States: MPSV4, MCV4, and MenACWY-CRM.

 

MPSV4 was made available in the 1970’s and is given to those over age 2 years who are at higher risk of meningococcal disease. "MPSV4" stands for Meningococcal Polysaccharide Vaccine.

 

MCV4 was approved in 2005 and is now being used to protect people who are 2-55 years old.  "MCV4" stand for Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine. Scientists believe it is better than the older vaccine and protects people longer.

 

MenACWY-CRM was approved in 2010 and is now being used to protect people who are 11-55 years old. “MenACWY-CRM” is also a Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine, and works similarly to MCV4.

 

All of these vaccines are good and protect against most, but not all, types of meningococcal disease. The conjugate vaccines (MCV4 and MenACWY-CRM) are preferred to the polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4).

 

How does the vaccine work?

The vaccine is made up of parts of the meningococcal bacteria that cannot cause infection. After the vaccine is given, the body makes antibodies to fight the meningococcus bacteria. These antibodies then help protect a person from infection if they come in contact with someone who has meningococcal disease.

 

Who should get the meningococcal vaccine?

If your daughter is between 11-12 years old, her health care provider will probably recommend that she gets the MCV4 or MenACWY-CRM when she has her checkup. If she is older than 12 and hasn’t had it yet, most likely her health care provider will suggest getting it before she goes to high school or before she goes to college or the military service.

 

Other people who should get vaccinated are those who plan to travel to places where meningococcal disease is common (such as certain regions of Africa), people who may have come in contact with meningitis, anyone who has a disorder of their immune system, anyone whose spleen has been damaged or had surgery to remove it, and people who study this disease in a lab.

 

Will my daughter need to get a booster meningococcal vaccine?

People who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease should receive a second vaccination 5 years after their previous meningococcal vaccine. People considered to be at increased risk are those with disorders of their immune systems, anyone whose spleen has been damaged or had surgery to remove it, people who study this disease in a lab, or people who travel to or live in countries where meningococcal disease is common. In addition, college freshman living in dormitories who received the MPSV4 vaccine 5 or more years ago should receive a dose of either MCV4 or MenACWY-CRM.

 

If your daughter has been in close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with meningococcal disease, it is important to tell her health care provider so that she can be treated with antibiotics. This is true even if she has had the meningococcal vaccine!

 

Will my daughter have any side effects from the meningococcal vaccine?

Most people who get vaccinated will not have a side effect and serious allergic reactions are rare.

 

The most common side effects are:

• Soreness where the shot was given
• Mild swelling around the area of the shot
• Slight fever

It is very uncommon to have side-effects from vaccines. If you think you might have had a side-effect from a vaccine, talk to your health care provider. You can also call 1-800-822-7967 or log on to vaers.hhs.gov.

 

Is there any reason why my daughter should wait or not get the meningococcal vaccine?

Most pre-teens and teens get the meningococcal conjugate vaccines without any problems. However, there are some reasons that your daughter should wait or not get it.

 

She should not get the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4) if she:

• Has had an allergic or bad reaction to the earlier vaccine
• Has had a serious allergic reaction to any part of the vaccine (for example, the vaccine fluid)
• Is very sick when she is scheduled to get the shot (her health care provider should be notified so that her appointment can be rescheduled)

She should not get the meningococcal vaccine (MenACWY-CRM) if she:

• Has had an allergic or bad reaction to the MCV4 or MPSV4 vaccines
• Has had a serious allergic reaction to any part of the vaccine (for example, the vaccine fluid)
• Has had a serious allergic reaction to diphtheria toxoid
• Is really sick when you are scheduled to get the shot (call her health care provider and reschedule your appointment)

Currently there is no data about the MCV4 shot and pregnancy however, if your daughter is pregnant and at risk of meningococcal disease (such as traveling to Africa), she should get the vaccine.

 

Is there anything else I should know before my daughter gets the MCV4?

Yes. It’s a good idea for either you or your daughter to ask her health care provider about her vaccine history.

 

Questions to ask may include:

1. Are there any reasons why she shouldn’t get the meningococcal vaccine (MCV4 or MenACWY-CRM)?
2. Does she have any known allergies to any medicine or vaccine?
3. What should she do if she comes in contact with someone who has meningococcal disease?

All you or your teen need to do is to check with her health care provider to see if her immunizations are up-to-date. Getting the vaccine is by far better than taking the chance of being infected with this serious disease.

 

Additional Resources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 1-800-232-4636 (1-800-CDC-INFO)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Meningitis FAQ's

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS)

 

Written by the CYWH Staff at Children's Hospital Boston

 

Updated: 6/9/2010