Meningitis
WHAT IS MENINGITIS?
Meningitis is an inflammation of the covering of the brain and spinal cord. It can be caused by viruses, parasites, fungi, and bacteria. Viral meningitis is most common and the least serious. Meningitis caused by bacteria is the most likely form of the disease to cause serious, long-term complications. It is an uncommon disease but requires urgent treatment with antibiotics to prevent permanent damage or death.
Bacterial meningitis can be caused by multiple organisms.Two common types are Streptococcus pneumoniae, with over 80 serogroups that can cause illness, and Neisseria meningitidis, with 5 serogroups that most commonly cause meningitis.
WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
Someone with bacterial meningitis will become very ill. The illness may develop over one or two days, but it can also rapidly progress in a matter of hours. Not everyone with meningitis will have the same symptoms.
Children (over 1 year old) and adults with meningitis may have a severe headache, high temperature, vomiting, sensitivity to bright lights, neck stiffness, and drowsiness or confusion. In both children and adults, there may be a rash of tiny, red-purple spots. These can occur anywhere on the body.
The diagnosis of bacterial meningitis is based on a combination of symptoms and laboratory results.
HOW SERIOUS IS BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
If it is diagnosed early and treated promptly, most people make a complete recovery. If left untreated or treatment is delayed, bacterial meningitis can be fatal, or a person may be left with permanent disability.
HOW IS BACTERIAL MENINGITIS SPREAD?
Fortunately, none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as diseases like the common cold or the flu, and they are not spread by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been. The germs live naturally in the back of our noses and throats, but they do not live for long outside the body. They are spread when people exchange saliva (such as by kissing; sharing drinking containers, utensils, or cigarettes) or when people cough or sneeze without covering their mouth and nose.
The bacteria do not cause meningitis in most people. Instead, most people become carriers of the bacteria for days, weeks or even months. The bacteria rarely overcome the body's immune system and cause meningitis or another serious illness.
HOW CAN BACTERIAL MENINGITIS BE PREVENTED?
Bacterial meningitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis may be prevented through vaccination. The vaccine which protects against Streptococcus pneumoniae is called pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or PCV. This vaccine is recommended by the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for children in the first year of life. Neisseria meningitidis is prevented through two types of vaccines. The first is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine which protects against 4 serogroups A, C, W, and Y and is referred to as MCV4. The second is a vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B and is referred to as MenB.
The ACIP recommends MCV4 for children at age 11-12 years, with a booster dose at 16-18 years. In Texas, one dose of MCV4 given at or after age 11 years is required for children in 7th-12th grades. One dose of MCV4 received in the previous five years is required in Texas for those under the age of 22 years and enrolling in college. Teens and young adults (16-23 years of age) may be vaccinated with MenB. This vaccine is not required for school or college enrollment in Texas.
Vaccines to protect against bacterial meningitis are safe and effective. Common side effects include redness and pain at the injection site lasting up to two days. Immunity develops about 1-2 weeks after the vaccines are given and lasts for 5 years to life depending on vaccine.
Healthy habits
Do not share food, drinks, utensils, toothbrushes, or cigarettes. Wash your hands. Limit the number of persons you kiss. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneeze or cough. Maintaining healthy habits, like getting plenty of rest and not having close contact with people who are sick, also helps.
WHO IS AT RISK FOR BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
Certain groups are at increased risk for bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. These risk factors include HIV infection, travel to places where meningococcal disease is common (such as certain countries in Africa and in Saudi Arabia), and college students living in a dormitory. Other risk factors include having a previous viral infection, living in a crowded household, or having an underlying chronic illness.
Children ages 11-15 years have the second highest rate of death from bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. And children ages 16-23 years also have the second highest rates of disease caused by Neisseria meningiditis.
WHAT YOU SHOULD DO IF YOU THINK YOU OR A FRIEND MIGHT HAVE BACTERIAL MENINGITIS?
Seek prompt medical attention.
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Your school nurse, family doctor, and the staff at your local or regional health department office are excellent sources for information on all infectious diseases. You may call your family doctor or local health department office to ask about meningococcal vaccine. Additional information may also be found at the web sites for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html and the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS): https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/PreteenVaccines.aspx or https://dshs.texas.gov/IDCU/disease/meningitis/Meningitis.aspx and https://www.dshs.texas.gov/immunize/school/meningitis-information-for-students---parents/
Meningitis Vaccine Info
On July 22, 2016, the Texas Department of State Health Services, in accordance with Texas Administrative Code, Title 25 Health Services, §§97.61-97.72 released the 2016-2017 Texas Minimum State Vaccine Requirements for Students Grades K-12. The requirement now specifies that one dose of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine is required on or after the student’s 11th birthday.
Acceptable quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines are:
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Menactra
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MenHibrix
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Menveo
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MCV4
Recently, a new vaccine (Men B) has been developed to cover meningococcal diseases caused by serogroup B. We encourage that you speak with your child's pediatrician for more information and to determine if MenB is recommended. There are two brand names of the Men B vaccine which are: Bexero and Trumenba. Please note, receiving this vaccine does NOT meet the state requirement.
COLLEGE-BOUND STUDENTS
Passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1107, 82nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, requires all entering students at Texas institutions of higher education to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis within the last five years and at least 10 days prior to the first day of class.
You must submit evidence of vaccination against bacterial meningitis to your enrolling college or meet certain criteria for declining the vaccine. Contact your Admissions Office for more details and instructions.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a booster dose of meningococcal vaccine for those 16-18 years of age. If all college-bound students receive the recommended booster dose, they will meet the requirements of SB 1107.
Students under 19 years of age may be eligible for a low-cost vaccine through the Texas Vaccines for Children Program (TVFC). Parents should contact their child’s doctor for more information about the TVFC program. Children are usually eligible for TVFC if they are:
Passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1107, 82nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, requires all entering students at Texas institutions of higher education to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis within the last five years and at least 10 days prior to the first day of class.
You must submit evidence of vaccination against bacterial meningitis to your enrolling college or meet certain criteria for declining the vaccine. Contact your Admissions Office for more details and instructions.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a booster dose of meningococcal vaccine for those 16-18 years of age. If all college-bound students receive the recommended booster dose, they will meet the requirements of SB 1107.
Students under 19 years of age may be eligible for a low-cost vaccine through the Texas Vaccines for Children Program (TVFC). Parents should contact their child’s doctor for more information about the TVFC program. Children are usually eligible for TVFC if they are:
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Enrolled in Medicaid
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Enrolled in CHIP
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Uninsured
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American Indian or Alaskan Native
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Underinsured children - A child whose health insurance does not cover vaccines; a child whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (TVFCeligible for non-covered vaccines only); or a child whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount.
You can go to the CDC website for more information about bacterial meningitis.