Rare Side Effects Of Meningococcal Immunisation
There is a very small risk of a serious allergic reaction to any vaccine. This is why you are advised to stay at the clinic or medical surgery for at least 15 minutes following immunisation in case further treatment is required.
If any other reactions are severe and persistent, or if you are worried, contact your doctor for further information.
What Is Meningococcal Disease
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by a bacterium. It can cause meningitis, which is an infection of the brain and spinal cord, and it can also cause blood infections. The infection can cause death or lifelong disability.
About 375 people get the disease each year, and about 10 to 15 out of 100 people infected with meningococcal disease die. Of those who survive, up to one out of five will have permanent disabilities, such as deafness, brain damage, loss of limbs, or seizures.
A person with meningococcal disease may become seriously ill very quickly. Antibiotics can treat meningococcal infections, but often cant be given soon enough to help.
Anyone can get meningococcal disease, but it is most common in infants less than 1 year of age. Teens are less likely to be infected than infants, but disease levels increase in adolescence starting around age 11, and peak around age 19 years.
Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine
DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine given at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 18 months
DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine is a combined vaccine that protects children against five diseases diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and serious diseases like meningitis caused by haemophilus influenzae type b.
Immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio is required by law for all children attending school in Ontario, unless exempted.
What is diphtheria?
Diphtheria is a serious disease of the nose, throat and skin. It causes sore throat, fever and chills. It can be complicated by breathing problems, heart failure and nerve damage. Diphtheria kills about one out of every 10 people who get the disease. It is most often passed to others through coughing and sneezing.
What is tetanus?
Tetanus or lockjaw is a serious disease that can happen if dirt with tetanus germ gets into a cut in the skin. Tetanus germs are found everywhere, usually in soil, dust and manure. It does not spread from person to person. Tetanus causes cramping of the muscles in the neck, arms, leg and stomach and painful convulsions which can be severe enough to break bones. Even with early treatment, tetanus kills two out of every 10 people who get it.
What is pertussis?
What is polio?
What is haemophilus influenzae type b disease?
Children under five years are more likely to get Hib disease. Children who attend childcare centres are even more likely to catch it. The Hib germ spreads to others through coughing and sneezing.
Don’t Miss: Cost Of Shingles Vaccine At Cvs
Why Teenagers And Students Should Have The Menacwy Vaccine
Meningococcal disease is a rare but life-threatening disease caused by meningococcal bacteria.
Older teenagers and new university students are at higher risk of infection because many of them mix closely with lots of new people, some of whom may unknowingly carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their nose and throat.
Anyone who is eligible for the MenACWY vaccine should have it, even if they have previously had the MenC vaccine.
The MenACWY vaccine is highly effective in preventing illness caused by the 4 meningococcal strains, including the extremely harmful MenW strain.
What Are The New York State School Requirements For Meningitis Vaccines
Starting with the 2016-17 school year, New York State students entering grades seven and twelve will be required to have been administered adequate doses of the meningococcal meningitis vaccine for school entry. All New York state requirements related to school entry will apply. Learn more about New York States current immunization requirements for school entry.
Read Also: Does Cvs Give Tetanus Shots
Meningococcal C Conjugate Vaccine
NeisVac-C is a meningococcal conjugate vaccine to protect against meningococcal group C only.
This can be used to protect babies under the age of 9 months. Babies who are less than 9 months of age need three doses to be protected. Children over 9 months of age and adults should be given the ACWY vaccine, Menactra.
The NeisVac-C vaccine is funded for children aged under 9 months with a medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease AND is listed on the Pharmaceutical Schedule. Refer to the Immunisation Handbookfor more details.
NeisVac-C is also available as a purchased vaccine through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $98 per dose.
For more advice on vaccines and their availability, talk to your family doctor, call the free Immunisation Advisory Centre helpline 0800 IMMUNE , or see the Immunisation Handbook.
Babies Older People And The Menacwy Vaccine
The MenACWY vaccine is currently recommended for teenagers as they are most likely to carry the meningococcal bacteria at the back of their noses and throats.
The MenACWY vaccine protects teenagers when they’re most at risk of meningococcal disease. It also stops them carrying and spreading the bacteria to other people.
Vaccinating teenagers should also help protect other people, including babies and older people, against meningococcal disease, including the extremely harmful MenW strain.
Also Check: Does Cvs Offer Tetanus Shots
Managing Fever After Meningococcal Acwy Immunisation
Common side effects following immunisation are usually mild and temporary . Specific treatment is not usually required.
If fever is present, drinking extra fluids and not overdressing can help.
Although routine use of paracetamol after vaccination is not recommended , if fever is present, paracetamol can be given. Check the label for the correct dose according to your childs weight or speak with your pharmacist, especially when giving paracetamol to children.
There’s A Vaccine For Hpv
Human papillomavirus is a common sexually transmitted virus and it can cause cancer. You can have HPV and pass it on without knowing it. The virus is spread by skin-to-skin or oral contact, so you don’t have to have intercourse to get it, and using a condom doesn’t fully protect you from the virus.
There are many types of HPV. Some cause warts on the genitals of both males and females. And the really bad news is that HPV can cause cancers, like cervical, vaginal, vulvar, penile, anal, throat, tongue and others!
Now for the good news! You can protect yourself against many of the types of HPV that cause warts and cancers by getting the HPV vaccine. The sooner you get it the better.
| Vaccine |
|---|
|
|
You May Like: Cost Of Tdap Vaccine At Cvs
How Does The Meningitis Acwy Vaccine Work
The Men ACWY vaccine contains inactivated extracts of four types of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria , which are some of the bacteria that can cause meningitis.
The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against these types of meningococcal bacteria, without actually causing meningitis. The antibodies stay in the body so that if you are exposed to the bacteria, the immune system can recognise and attack them. This prevents them from causing meningitis or septicaemia.
What Do I Need To Know About Meningitis Vaccines
There are a number of safe, effective vaccines that prevent meningococcal meningitis. The vaccines may cause mild and infrequent side effects, such as redness and pain at the injection site lasting up to two days. The meningitis vaccines are 85 to 100 percent effective in preventing the four kinds of meningococcus germ . These four types cause about 70 percent of the disease in the United States. A newer vaccine protects against type B, which accounts for about one-third of cases in adolescents, and the CDC recently recommended that clinicians may choose to administer vaccine against serogroup B to persons between the ages of 16-23. This vaccine is also recommended for those 10 years of age and older with certain health conditions. For more information regarding Meningitis B vaccine recommendations, heck out the CDCs vaccine information statement.
While meningitis vaccines are effective against many types of meningococcal disease, they are not 100% effective against all types, and they do not prevent all cases of meningococcal disease.
Read Also: Can You Get Tdap At Cvs
Can Menb Disease Be Prevented
Yes. This vaccine helps protect babies against MenB and there are other vaccines, like MenC, that protect against some other types of meningococcal infections.
Immunising babies helps protect them when they’re most at risk of developing meningococcal disease.
Meningitis and septicaemia are very serious diseases that need urgent medical treatment. Some of the symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of flu, so, if youre in any doubt about your babys health, trust your instincts and get advice urgently by phoning your GP, or the 111 service if your GP is closed.
What Are The Options For Meningococcal Vaccine
Meningococcal vaccine is highly effective at protecting against four strains of the meningococcal bacteria. Three strains are common in the United States and the fourth strain protects travelers to certain countries where the disease is more common.
The MenACWY vaccine does not contain the meningococcal B strain that is more commonly found in infants and may cause some cases in adolescents. There is an additional vaccine, meningococcal B vaccine , that contains the B strain. If your clinic does not carry the MenB vaccine, you can ask them to order it for you, or to refer you to another clinic that has the vaccine. Talk to your health care provider about getting this additional vaccine.
Recommended Reading: Tdap Vaccine Cvs
What Does A New Health Survey Say
While most of us recognise that meningitis B is dangerous, are we able to tell it apart from the flu before its too late?
The Alphega Pharmacy team spoke to 600 16-24 year-olds and their parents, to check their instincts and awareness when it came to MenB and the results were astounding.
The study by Your Local Health Hero found:
- Around 2 in 3 young people and 11 per cent of their parents cant identify Meningitis B from its symptoms
- Young people would take 5 hrs longer to seek urgent medical help than their parents for Men B symptoms
- 31 per cent of young people wouldnt seek urgent help for Men B symptoms within 24 hours
- Young people said theyd wait until they felt delirious, fell unconscious and were having seizures before theyd seek urgent medical help, drastically increasing their chance of death
- People who were shown a skin rash in their list of symptoms sought medical help sooner
- 38 per cent of young people and 19 per cent of parents didnt realise meningitis B could have life-changing side effects
Cdc Does Not Routinely Recommend A Menb Vaccine For All Teens And Young Adults However All Teens May Get Vaccinated Preferably At 16 To 18 Years Old
Serogroup B meningococcal disease is relatively rare. Outbreaks have occurred at several U.S. colleges during the past decade. CDCs current recommendation gives people access to MenB vaccines to help prevent this uncommon, but serious illness. However, doctors and parents should discuss the risk of the disease and weigh the risks and benefits of vaccination. Available data suggest these vaccines are safe and provide protection, but that protection decreases fairly quickly after vaccination.
Don’t Miss: Cvs Pharmacy Tdap
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine
Before a vaccine became available for it, Haemophilus influenzae type b was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Hib is much less common today due to vaccinations.
Doctors usually administer the Hib vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. They will administer it again between the ages of 12 and 15 months.
The dosing regimen depends on the brand of vaccine an infant receives.
Doctors will give this vaccine either alone or as part of a combination vaccine.
Potential Serious Side Effect
Very rarely, serious side effects can occur with any vaccine. Speak with your healthcare provider immediately if you or your child experience:
- Dizziness, ringing in the ears, or vision changes after the vaccine is administered. This could indicate that you are going to faint.
- Severe pain in your shoulder or trouble moving your arm where the shot was administered.
- Symptoms of an allergic reaction, including changes to breathing. This can happen even hours after a shot is given.
Also Check: Tdap Cost Cvs
Do You Need The Meningitis Acwy Vaccine
If you have not had this vaccination before or you require it before travelling, you can get it through your pharmacist or GP. You will have a consultation and one dose of vaccine . This is a private from both pharmacist and GP and is not available on the NHS for travellers unless you are 14-24 years old.
You should be immunised at least two weeks before you travel if you need this vaccination. If you are under 25 and havent been vaccinated, it is important to do so before starting university because the risk of infection for some strains is highest in first year university students.
Find out if you’ve been vaccinated
Research your meningitis risk
Have a consultation with your pharmacist
Receive your injection
Be aware of the symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia
Are There Any Side Effects To The Vaccination
Side effects are usually mild. The injected area may become sore and red.
Young children may get a temperature of over 37.5C , so its a good idea to check their temperature often with a thermometer. You can consider giving them age-appropriate paracetamol to help lower their temperature. Make sure theyre in comfy clothes and keep them cool.
Headaches and joint pain are most common in older children and adults. These should go away with time, but can be eased with pain relief such as paracetamol.
Our in-store pharmacist will talk to you about possible side effects before the vaccination.
You May Like: Tdap Cvs
What Is A Vaccine
Vaccines protect you from illnesses caused by vaccine-preventable diseases. These diseases can make you very sick, disable you or even kill you.
Vaccination is one of the best ways you can protect your health.
Simple as that.
Vaccinations are also called immunizations, needles or shots. When you were a little kid, your parents probably made sure you got them, but now it’s on you.
Protect your health. Keep your shots up to date.
What Is The Meningitis B Vaccine Trial
In 2018, experts at the University of Oxford started recruiting thousands of teenagers to research whether vaccinating 16-18-year-olds can prevent the spread of the bug.
It is funded by the National Institute for Health Research, and the teens will either get two MenB vaccine doses, or be used as control subjects.
They will have throat swabs taken 12 months apart to see whether the vaccination will stop bacteria in the back of the throat causing meningitis.
The study will take between a year and 18 months, and will work around school holidays and exams.
Dr Matthew Snape, from the Oxford Vaccine Group told the BBC: “We are doing the study to help us understand whether an immunisation campaign in teenagers would help us to protect the whole community.”
If the trial is successful, Claire Donovan, head of research and information at Meningitis Now said “potentially vaccinating that age group will help protect the rest of the nation”.
Recommended Reading: How Much Is Tdap Vaccine At Cvs
Are Free Or Low
Yes, if you dont have insurance or your insurance does not cover the cost of the meningococcal vaccines, you may be able to find free or low-cost meningococcal shots.
- Talk to your doctor or clinic to see if they participate in the Minnesota Vaccines for Children Program. If the person in need of vaccination is 18 years old or younger, they may be eligible for no-cost vaccines. However, there may be an administration fee of up to $21.22 per shot.
- Talk to your city or county health department. They may be able to provide low-cost meningococcal shots.
How Are Vaccines Made And How Do They Work
Type: Guide
Date published: 2018-08
First, researchers must spend time isolating and studying the virus or bacteria that causes the disease. Then, they must figure out how to isolate and produce weakened or dead germs that, when introduced into your body, will teach it how to build antibodies that fight the disease without causing any symptoms of the disease itself.
Next, the scientists figure out the correct quantity of the vaccine to give and how long the protection lasts. The vaccine is then tested and retested in the lab. It is then used in many clinical trials, where it is given to an increasing number of volunteers. Finally the vaccine is determined to be safe to use. On you!
For you, it’s just a very fast shot in the arm, but the journey it takes to get there is a very long and careful one, designed with nothing but your good health and safety in mind.
Don’t Miss: Does Cvs Do Tdap Shots
Meningococcal Acwy Vaccine Side Effects
The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is effective and safe, although all medications can have unwanted side effects.
Side effects from this vaccine are uncommon and are usually mild, but may include:
- localised pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
- occasionally, an injection-site lump that may last many weeks
- low-grade temperature
- children being unsettled, irritable, tearful, or generally unhappy, drowsy and tired.
Who Should Get Meningococcal Vaccines
CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all preteens and teens. In certain situations, CDC also recommends other children and adults get meningococcal vaccines. Below is more information about which meningococcal vaccines, including booster shots, CDC recommends for people by age.
Talk to your or your childs doctor about what is best for your specific situation.
Don’t Miss: Cvs Tdap Booster