Why Get Immunised Against Meningococcal Disease
Meningococcal disease is a very serious infection that can cause severe scarring, loss of limbs, brain damage and death.
Vaccination is a safe and effective way to protect yourself from meningococcal disease.
Meningococcal disease is most commonly caused by types A, B, C, W and Y. Vaccines can protect against all these types, but different vaccines protect against different types. No single vaccine protects against all types.
Factors Affecting Cost Of Meningitis Vaccine
Type of meningitis strain how much is a meningitis shot depends on the type of the meningitis strain you want your child to be protected from and would be the foremost factor to affect the price of the shots as there are several types of these vaccines in the market.
Brand there are several types of meningitis vaccines that treat the same strains but are priced differently because of the brand names.
Manufacturer some manufacturers produce vaccine shots intended to prevent the same strains but under different brands and these brands typically have varying prices.
Income if you do not have a steady source of income and do not have any health insurance, you can locate some of the federally funded health centers where you would only be required to pay what you can afford.
Insurance most health insurance cover meningitis vaccinations either partially or fully depending on your coverage.
Who Should Not Get The Vaccine
Speak with your health care provider if you or your child have had a life-threatening reaction to a previous dose of any meningococcal vaccine, or any component of the vaccine.
There is no need to delay getting immunized because of a cold or other mild illness.
However, if you have concerns speak with your health care provider.
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How Are Cvs Pharmacy And Minuteclinic Different
At the pharmacy, vaccinations for adolescents through seniors are administered by certified immunizationâtrained pharmacist. Age and state restrictions apply. No appointment necessary.
At MinuteClinic, vaccinations for children through seniors are administered by a nurse practicioner. View wait times and schedule a visit online, or walk in anytime.
CVS Pharmacy and MinuteClinic also at Target
Meningococcal Disease In Australia
Meningococcal disease can occur sporadically or in epidemics. In Australia, most cases occur during winter and early spring. Other countries with temperate climates also have this seasonal trend.95
The meningococcal serogroups that cause meningococcal disease have been changing. A meningococcal C vaccine was introduced on the National Immunisation Program in 2003 and has resulted in a large reduction in meningococcal C disease incidence.95,96
Meningococcal B has historically caused most meningococcal disease in Australia.96 Meningococcal B continues to cause around half of all reported cases of meningococcal disease in Australia.98
Meningococcal B is most common in South Australia, where a state-funded MenB vaccination program was introduced from 2018. Refer to the South Australian Health Department website for further details.
Because of substantial declines in invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroups B and C, overall IMD incidence in Australia declined between 2003 and 2013.96
Since 2013, the incidence of meningococcal W disease has rapidly increased.98,99 Incidence of meningococcal Y disease has also been steadily increasing since 2016.98 Several states and territories implemented vaccination programs with MenACWY vaccine in 2017 to manage this disease. In 2018, MenACWY vaccine was introduced on the National Immunisation Program for toddlers aged 12 months. Adolescents are able to receive MenACWY vaccine on the National Immunisation Program from 2019.
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Immunogenicity And Vaccine Efficacy
- Conjugate: A type of vaccine that joins a protein to an antigen in order to improve the protection the vaccine provides
- Recombinant: A type of vaccine where the protein antigen is put into a harmless virus or bacterium that then makes copies of the antigen that the immune system recognizes and creates protective antibodies against
Today, meningococcal disease is at a historic low in the United States. Incidence of meningococcal disease has been declining in the United States since the 1990s. Much of the decline occurred prior to routine use of MenACWY vaccines. In addition, serogroup B meningococcal disease declined even though MenB vaccines were not available until the end of 2014.
Available data suggest that protection from MenACWY vaccines decreases in many adolescents within 5 years. Getting the 16-year-old booster dose is critical to maintaining protection when adolescents are most at risk for meningococcal disease. Available data on MenB vaccines suggest that protective antibodies also decrease quickly after vaccination.
Why Is There So Much Talk About The Meningococcal Vaccine Meningococcus Is A Bacterium Of Which 13 Types Are Known But Only Five Are Responsible For Disease In Our Country And In Europe Serotypes B And C Are Prevalent
Meningococcus is responsible for various infections of varying severity and can affect all ages, with a prevalence in children under five years of age.
Transmission is via nasal or pharyngeal droplets from infected persons or carriers of the bacterium.
Meningococcal infections are often asymptomatic or cause inflammation of the upper respiratory tract, but in severe cases the bacterium can lead to meningitis or sepsis, very serious illnesses that can be fatal.
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Administration With Other Vaccines
Clinicians may administer MenACWY and MenB vaccines during the same visit, but at a different injection site, if feasible. Clinicians can also administer meningococcal and other vaccines during the same visit, but at a different injection site, if feasible. Administer each vaccine with a separate syringe.
What Are The Possible Reactions After The Vaccine
Vaccines are very safe. It is much safer to get the vaccine than to get meningococcal disease.
Common reactions to the vaccine may include soreness, redness and swelling where the vaccine was given. Headache, muscle soreness, chills, fever, and nausea may also occur after getting the vaccine. These reactions are mild and generally last 1 to 2 days.
It is important to stay in the clinic for 15 minutes after getting any vaccine because there is an extremely rare possibility, less than 1 in a million, of a life-threatening allergic reaction called anaphylaxis. This may include hives, difficulty breathing, or swelling of the throat, tongue or lips. Should this reaction occur, your health care provider is prepared to treat it. Emergency treatment includes administration of epinephrine and transfer by ambulance to the nearest emergency department. If symptoms develop after you leave the clinic, call 9-1-1 or the local emergency number.
It is important to always report serious or unexpected reactions to your health care provider.
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All Infants Children And Adults
Any person from 6 weeks of age who wants to protect themselves against meningococcal disease is recommended to receive MenACWY vaccine and MenB vaccine
Any person who wants to protect themselves against invasive meningococcal disease can receive MenACWY and MenB vaccines from as early as 6 weeks of age.
A summary of the recommendations for use of meningococcal vaccines is shown in Table. Recommendations for meningococcal vaccines by age group. The table shows the type of vaccines that are strongly recommended for specific age groups and special risk groups. See below for brand and dosing recommendations.
Preferred vaccines
Infants aged < 9 months can receive 2 of the 3 MenACWY brands . Infants and children aged 9 months to 2 years can receive any of the 3 MenACWY vaccine brands, following the age-appropriate dosing schedule.
For all people aged 2 years, it is preferable to receive either Menveo or Nimenrix, rather than Menactra.
There is no preference for either Bexsero or Trumenba for people aged 10 years who wish to receive a MenB vaccine. For people aged < 10 years, Bexsero is the only registered MenB vaccine available in Australia.
Recommended dose schedules
For recommended dose schedules for healthy people aged 2 years who wish to receive meningococcal vaccine, see Table. Recommendations for meningococcal vaccines for healthy people aged 2 years, by age and vaccine brand.
For the recommended dose schedules for healthy infants and children aged < 2 years, see:
How Often Do Patients Need Meningococcal Vaccines
- Get link
Meningitis is a deadly condition that affects up to 1 million people per year globally.1
Meningitis is a deadly condition that affects up to 1 million people per year globally.1 It is characterized by inflammation of the meninges but can also affect the parenchyma , the spinal cord, and the ventricles .2 The most common and lethal meningitis is bacterial, but several types exist: amebic, fungal, noninfectious, parasitic, and viral.1,3
The rate of meningococcal disease is at a low in the United States, declining since the 1990s.4 Since the inception of the meningococcal conjugate vaccine recommendation, the rate of meningococcal disease caused by serogroups C, Y, and W has decreased by 80% among 11-to-19-year-olds.4 Importantly, remember that meningitis is not synonymous with meningococcal disease.3 Meningococcal disease is any illness caused by Neisseria meningitidis, but bacterial meningitis in the United States is often caused by group B Streptococcus, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Neisseria meningitidis, and Streptococcus pneumoniae.5 Bacterial meningitis is a medical emergency, and fortunately, vaccinations are available and recommended to prevent the disease.
The bacterium that causes meningococcal disease, N meningitidis, has 5 serogroups, A, B, C, W, and Y, that are covered under 2 types of vaccinations4: conjugate vaccines and serogroup B vaccines .
INFANTS AND CHILDREN
PRETEENS AND TEENS
ADULTS
FREQUENCY FOR SPECIAL CONDITIONS
References
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Why Are Meningococcal Vaccines Important
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Meningococcal disease is rare, but people do get it and teens, young adults, and people with certain health conditions are at increased risk. Meningococcal disease can cause serious infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord or the blood.
Protection from these infections is especially important because they can quickly become very dangerous in fact, they can be deadly in just a few hours.
Getting vaccinated is the best way to prevent meningococcal disease.
How Much Do Meningitis Vaccines Cost
Because of what we see, hear, or read everywhere, paranoia has become part of our character in recent years, especially if we are already a parent.
When we see a rash in our kids skin, palpitations set in. It may be just a simple case of a bug or other insect bite that coincided with a fever. Yes, of all the time to have a rash. But we want to make sure. We do the glass test. When the rash turns white upon pressure from the clear glass, we could heave a sigh of relief. When it didnt, our palpitations turn to heart attack, figuratively, as this calls for an emergency.
But why subject yourself to this kind of stress and your loved one the agony when you could prevent it from happening by having them vaccinated against meningitis and be protected from some of its strains?
Meningitis is a disease which causes inflammation or swelling of the protective membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord. It spreads through the common behavior such as sharing foods, utensils and sharing rooms with someone who has the virus.
Symptoms can mimic that of a regular fever with the existence of some rash but can be fatal within 24 hours if not treated immediately.
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Understanding The Bexsero Men B Vaccine
- Blog
- Understanding the Bexsero Men B Vaccine
There has been recent news stemming from the UK about the devastating loss of young lives from the dreaded disease Meningococcal B. There has been a huge push over there and in Australia to get this vaccine on the National Immunisation Plan . So it is free for everyone.
Meningitis Centre Australia has been flooded with calls and emails from people wanting to know more about the vaccine and where they can get it from, and to you, we say thank you for taking an interest and sharing our message.
So we have compiled a fact sheet about the vaccine. How effective it is, how much it costs , where you can get it from and what you can do to push for the vaccine to get on the NIP.
Bexsero Meningococcal B Vaccine*
Children aged under the age of 5 years, particularly infants aged less than 1 year old, have the highest incidence of invasive meningococcal B disease. A lower, secondary peak in incidence is evident in late adolescence and early adulthood.
Bexsero® is a vaccine that induces specific bactericidal antibodies against a range of MenB strains. In Australia, based on laboratory tests, about 76% of MenB strains are predicted to be covered by this vaccine, but clinical effectiveness has not yet been shown.
MenB cannot be prevented by the other meningococcal vaccines currently available in Australia, such as the meningococcal C conjugate and quadrivalent vaccines, because they target other meningococcal serogroups.
Who Should Not Get The Men
Speak with your health care provider if your child has had a life-threatening reaction to a previous dose of meningococcal vaccine, to any component of the vaccine, or to latex.
There is no need to delay getting immunized because of a cold or other mild illness. However, if you have concerns speak with your health care provider.
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Why The Recommendations Changed
Both the CDC and AAP say safety data and a need to catch up children and teens on missed vaccinations played a role.
“The AAP supports giving other childhood and adolescent immunizations at the same time as COVID-19 vaccines, particularly for children and teens who are behind on their immunizations, the AAPs statement reads. Between the substantial data collected on the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and the extensive experience with non-COVID-19 vaccines which shows the immune response and side effects are generally similar when vaccines are given together as when they are administered alone, the benefits of co-administration and timely catch up on vaccinations outweigh any theoretical risk.
Woodworth also said that updated co-administration recommendations may facilitate catch up vaccination of adolescents. She cited data that showed the administration of many other vaccines has declined during the pandemic.
Specifically, vaccine orders from providers were down 11.7 million doses as of May 2, 2021 when compared with 2019. The gap was largest in vaccines usually given to teens, including:
- The Tdap vaccine
- HPV vaccine
- Meningococcal conjugate vaccine
When Are Meningococcal Vaccines Given
Vaccination with MenACWY is recommended:
- when kids are 11 or 12 years old, with a booster given at age 16
- for teens 1318 years old who haven’t been vaccinated yet
Those who have their first dose between the ages of 1315 should get a booster dose between the ages of 1618. Teens who get their first dose after age 16 won’t need a booster dose.
Kids and teens who are at higher risk for meningococcal disease need the full series of MenACWY vaccines, even if they’re younger than 11 years old. This includes kids who:
- live in or travel to countries where the disease is common
- are present during an outbreak of the disease
- have some kinds of immune disorders. If the immune disorders are chronic, these kids also need a booster dose a few years later, depending on their age at the first dose.
The sequence and dosage depends on the child’s age, medical condition, and vaccine brand. Some types of meningococcal vaccines can be given as early as 8 weeks of age.
Kids 10 years and older with these risk factors also should get the MenB vaccine. They’ll need 2 or 3 doses depending on the brand. They might need more booster doses as long as the risk factor remains.
For those without risk factors, the decision to receive the MenB vaccine should be made together by teens, their parents, and the doctor. For them, the preferred age range is 1618 years. Usually, they need 2 doses.
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Who Should Get The Meningococcal Quadrivalent Conjugate Vaccine
The vaccine is provided free to children in grade 9.
The vaccine is also provided free to children and adults at high risk of meningococcal disease, including those who have:
- no spleen, or a spleen that is not working properly
- immune system disorders including complement, properdin or factor D deficiencies, or primary antibody deficiency
- an islet cell or solid organ transplant, or those who are waiting for one
- had a stem cell transplant
- been in close contact with a person with meningococcal A, Y or W-135 disease, or who are determined by public health to be at risk of infection with these during an outbreak in B.C.
The vaccine is recommended, but not provided free, for the following people:
- laboratory workers routinely exposed to meningococcal bacteria
- military personnel and
- those living or travelling in a high risk area for meningococcal disease.
For information on high risk travel areas contact a travel clinic.
The vaccine is usually given as 1 dose. Some people may need additional doses of the vaccine. Speak with your health care provider to find out if you need additional doses and when you should get them.
People who are not eligible for the free vaccine but want to be protected against meningococcal A, C, Y and W-135 strains of the disease can purchase the quadrivalent vaccine at most travel clinics and pharmacies.
It is important to keep a record of all immunizations received.
Where Can I Find These Vaccines
Your clinician is usually the best place to receive recommended vaccines for you or your child.These vaccines are part of the routine childhood immunization schedule. Therefore, vaccines for children and teens are regularly available at
- Pediatric and family practice offices
- Community health clinics
If your clinician does not have these vaccines for adults, ask for a referral.
Vaccines may also be available at
- Pharmacies
- Health departments
- Other community locations, such as schools and religious centers
Federally funded health centers can also provide services if you do not have a regular source of health care. Locate one near youexternal iconexternal icon. You can also contact your state health department to learn more about where to get vaccines in your community.
When receiving any vaccine, ask the provider to record the vaccine in the state or local registry, if available. This helps clinicians at future encounters know what vaccines you or your child have already received.
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