Vaccines are proof that prevention (of a disease) is better than cure. And meningitis is one disease you don't allow to strike first before you seek remedy, as it affects the brain. Won't you love to know how to protect yourself from this disease? This article will tell you what you need to know.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the meninges, which are membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. The meninges consist of three layers:
These layers provide a supportive framework for the brain. They also protect the central nervous system from damage. Infection of these layers of the meninges causes a type of inflammation, medically referred to as meningitis.
Meningitis affects more than 2.5 million people globally each year.
Bacteria, viruses, and fungi are some of the microorganisms that infect the meninges. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), bacterial meningitis has the highest global burden compared with the burden of viral and fungal meningitis. This means bacterial meningitis causes more severe symptoms.
On the other hand, viral meningitis is common but causes milder symptoms, while fungal meningitis is rare.
Reading further, we will discuss the available vaccines for meningitis, how they work, and who they are meant for.
Meningitis-causing bacteria have different strains known as serotypes or serogroups. Serotypes are groups of bacteria with similar features and characteristics. Vaccines fight these serotypes of bacteria.
Meningitis vaccines are active against meningococcal, pneumococcal, and Hib meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis, caused by Neisseria meningitidis, is the most frequent type of meningitis. It causes meningitis outbreaks, particularly in the northern parts of Nigeria, between November and June.
Neisseria meningitidis has 5 main serotypes that cause meningitis: A, B, C, W, and Y.
There are 2 types of vaccines against these serotypes. The two vaccines are also readily available (in the United States) for meningitis.
They are:
MenACWY is active against serotypes A, C, W, and Y. MenB is active against only serotype B.
There are also other types of vaccines, including:
Vaccines are attenuated, live forms of an organism. This means they contain weakened or inactive parts of a particular organism. When administered into the body, they trigger an immune response. This leads to the production of antibodies to fight the real microorganism.
The quantity of the weakened organism is so little that it doesn’t cause the disease. But it makes the immune system ready to fight the microorganisms when they enter the body in large numbers.
The WHO states that vaccines are the best protection against bacterial meningitis. And because of the severity of bacterial meningitis, its prevention is better than treatment.
A 2017 study showed 66%-100% effectiveness with meningococcal vaccines against meningitis. However, there’s no single vaccine that works for all the serotypes of the organism.
Because meningitis can infect anyone, the vaccines are suitable for people of all ages. But, the vaccines vary depending on the patient’s age and body deficiencies.
Different age groups are likely to suffer from meningitis caused by a particular bacteria.
However, If you fall into any of the following categories, the WHO particularly recommends you take the vaccines:
For babies ages 2 months to 10 years, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the MenACWY meningitis vaccine if they
For children 10 years of age and older, they recommend MenB if they:
Talk to your doctor to know what's best for your baby and if your baby needs a booster shot.
Preteens between 11 and 12 years old will receive the MenACWY vaccine, with a booster shot at 16 years old.
For teens between 16 and 18 years old, they should get the MenB vaccine.
Any teen can also get the MenB vaccine if they:
Adults can take the ManACWY if they:
Adults can also take MenB if they:
Still, talk to your doctor to know what's best for you, and when you need your MenB or MenACWY booster shots.
The Meningitis vaccine is not recommended for some people. This is because of the adverse drug reactions that may happen upon administration. They include:
Meningitis vaccines are safe but might have some mild side effects. These side effects could be due to the method of administration. And not necessarily the vaccine itself.
The possible side effects include:
For MenACWY:
For MenB:
According to the Nigeria Center for Disease Control (NCDC), meningitis caused by Serogroups A and C has been a problem for the past two decades. There were Serogroup A epidemics in 1996, 2003, 2008, & 2009. And by 2010, WHO and the NCDC had introduced the Serogroup A Conjugate vaccine to curb the menace.
From 2011 to 2022, the agency vaccinated more than 100 million Nigerians using ManA conjugate vaccines. In 2019, Nigeria included the vaccine in its routine immunization schedule.
There was also a similar outbreak of Serogroup C in 2013 & 2014 in some Northwestern states. By 2017, WHO and her partners had sent more than 500,000 doses of meningitis C vaccines to Nigeria.
In 2023, bivalent (A & C), trivalent (A, C & W), and tetravalent (A, C, Y & W) meningococcal vaccines are being used for vaccination.
Meningitis is one of the most lethal infections because it affects the brain. But the vaccines are very effective against the disease. There are vaccines for different age groups.
So, if you're going to travel to a meningitis-endemic area, talk to your doctor to determine your vaccination status.