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A New
Meningitis Vaccine for Pre-teens and Teens
Menveo
Approved by the FDA There
is good news in the continuing fight against meningitis. On February 22,
2010 Novartis announce that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
approved Menveo, a new meningococcal conjugate vaccine, for the
prevention of meningococcal meningitis in people 11-55 years of age.
Menveo protects against four of the five most common serogroups of
meningococcal meningitis: A, C, Y and W-135.
Meningococcal meningitis is a sudden, contagious, and potentially
life-threatening illness that strikes about 1,000-3,000 people in the
U.S. each year. As many as one in seven patients who contract the
disease will die, typically within 24-48 hours from the onset of
symptoms. Approximately one in five survivors will suffer permanent side
effects including amputations, seizures, paralysis hearing loss and
learning disabilities. The
best way to prevent meningococcal meningitis is through the use of a
vaccine that offers broad protection. With the approval of Menveo, we
now have another option for saving lives. The
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on
Immunization Practices recommends routine immunization against
meningococcal meningitis for all adolescents 11 to 18, college freshmen
living in dormitories, military recruits, and people in other high risk
groups who are 2-10 or 19-55 years of age. Spread
the word and encourage loved ones to get vaccinated, because no one has
to suffer from this devastating, vaccine-preventable illness. For
more information, visit
www.meningitis.com.
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