Infants and Meningococcal Disease
Infants are the most vulnerable among us—they cannot stand up for themselves, and so it is our job to protect them. Every child deserves a healthy start. That’s why the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that infants be vaccinated against many diseases that threaten their health and their lives.
But one deadly disease continues to cause intense devastation among infants and their families: Meningococcal disease, one of the most common causes of meningitis and sepsis. This disease is one of the leading causes of preventable death in infants. Recently a vaccine was approved by the FDA to prevent meningococcal disease in infants as young as 9 months. The CDC has recommend it for use in infants of high risk. This vaccine and recommendation brings us one step closer to eliminating this fast moving, deadly disease that kills and maims children. Recently FDA approved a new vaccine for infants as young as two months. In October 2012 ACIP will review and discsuss recommendations. Pending review and approval there are more vaccines for infants on the horizon. In order for infants to receive these vaccines, the CDC must make a recommendation for their use in infants.
Summer of 2011 the CDC gathered public opinion on making the important decision of whether to recommend that all infants receive this lifesaving vaccine and others as they become available in order to move towards eliminating this terrible disease. We hope you’ll take the time to learn about meningococcal disease, preventative health measures, and of course the vaccines that can prevent this disease.
Facts About Meningitis Meningococcal disease is devastating, and it affects infants and teens in particular. We hope these facts will help you see how important it is to prevent this disease. The CDC has already taken huge steps in preventing this disease in teens and young adults. Now they have an opportunity to prevent the same meningococcal disease in infants.What is Meningococcal Disease?
Stay tuned for more important information.
But one deadly disease continues to cause intense devastation among infants and their families: Meningococcal disease, one of the most common causes of meningitis and sepsis. This disease is one of the leading causes of preventable death in infants. Recently a vaccine was approved by the FDA to prevent meningococcal disease in infants as young as 9 months. The CDC has recommend it for use in infants of high risk. This vaccine and recommendation brings us one step closer to eliminating this fast moving, deadly disease that kills and maims children. Recently FDA approved a new vaccine for infants as young as two months. In October 2012 ACIP will review and discsuss recommendations. Pending review and approval there are more vaccines for infants on the horizon. In order for infants to receive these vaccines, the CDC must make a recommendation for their use in infants.
Summer of 2011 the CDC gathered public opinion on making the important decision of whether to recommend that all infants receive this lifesaving vaccine and others as they become available in order to move towards eliminating this terrible disease. We hope you’ll take the time to learn about meningococcal disease, preventative health measures, and of course the vaccines that can prevent this disease.
Facts About Meningitis Meningococcal disease is devastating, and it affects infants and teens in particular. We hope these facts will help you see how important it is to prevent this disease. The CDC has already taken huge steps in preventing this disease in teens and young adults. Now they have an opportunity to prevent the same meningococcal disease in infants.What is Meningococcal Disease?
- Meningococcal disease is a leading cause of meningitis (an infection of the membrane around the brain and spinal cord) and sepsis (a life-threatening bloodstream infection)
- There are five groups of meningococcal bacteria that are responsible for causing most of the disease. They are C, A, Y, B and W135. Four of these groups are vaccine preventable (C, A, Y and W135)
- Each year approximately 1 in 7 people who contract meningococcal disease will die from it
- The disease starts with non-specific flu-like symptoms, progresses rapidly and aggressively and can kill in as few as four hours, making it a very difficult disease to diagnose and treat
- Of those who survive 1 in 6 will suffer limb amputations, paralysis, seizures, strokes, hearing loss, blindness, organ damage, severe scarring, brain damage and more
- Aside from injuries and neonatal complications, meningococcal disease is among the leading causes of preventable infant death in the U.S. Approximately 50-60% of these cases are vaccine preventable
- Recent CDC estimates reveal that meningococcal disease incidence is three to seven times higher in infants under one year old than in any other age group, and the highest risk for meningococcal disease is during the first seven months of life
- Approximately 1 in 16 infants who contract meningococcal disease will die from it
- There are more deaths from meningococcal disease each year than there are from pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and rotavirus disease – all infections for which infants currently receive vaccinations
- Right now, the CDC recommends routine meningococcal vaccination for children and adolescents 11-18 years of age and younger as young as 9 months for those infants and children at high risk.
- In April 2011, the FDA approved an infant vaccine as safe and effective at preventing meningococcal disease, and the agency is expected to approve additional infant vaccines for this disease over the next year
- Now that a vaccine to prevent meningococcal disease in infants is available, the CDC will consider it and decide whether or not to recommend its use in infants
- According to a 2010 ACIP presentation, infant vaccination for meningococcal disease would prevent approximately 195 cases and 13 infant deaths caused by this disease each year, making this vaccination an important step towards eliminating the disease entirely in the U.S. (much like we were able to achieve with a vaccine for polio and small pox)
Stay tuned for more important information.
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