Sometimes it seems as if outbreaks of preventable diseases, such as meningitis, are a thing of the past. However, just last year there were reported cases of meningitis in Warren, near where I practice in Lincoln County. After people started hearing about the cases, I received a number of phone calls and inquiries about the meningitis vaccine and meningitis in general. While we were able to respond to the need and vaccinate children and adults in the community to protect them from the disease, parents should not wait until there is an outbreak to protect their children.
Recent meningitis outbreaks around the country highlight the importance of being protected. Just this year there was one at Princeton University in New Jersey and another at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The outbreaks sickened a dozen students and are believed to be the cause of one death.
This message of prevention is critical for the many parents whose children and teens attend school and college. Making sure your children are protected by having the meningococcal vaccine, whether they are at a local school, boarding school or college, could save their lives. Meningitis outbreaks in school settings have been increasingly common across the country — and as we’ve seen in Maine’s midcoast — can happen anywhere.
Meningitis is a serious disease that can cause permanent harm, including brain damage, deafness, learning disabilities, loss of limbs and even death. The disease can also cause pneumonia, severe swelling in the throat (making it harder to breathe), blood infections, joint and bone problems, heart problems, seizures or strokes. One of the most alarming facts is that meningitis can seem like the flu when it first starts. By the time it’s diagnosed, it may be too late.
Teens are at high risk for coming in contact with meningitis because it’s most commonly spread in places of community living, such as colleges, boarding schools, high school locker rooms and camps — places where teens share rooms or come in close contact with one another.
Once caught by one person, meningitis spreads quickly and easily. This means that the risk is not only to your child, but also to their friends and peers. While teens are most at risk, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the high risk lasts into the early 20s.
Despite the risks for teens being exposed to this disease, there are many who don’t get immunized against it. The National Meningitis Association estimates that about 30 percent of our teenage population isn’t fully protected against meningitis. CDC numbers show that every year, between 1,000 and 1,200 people in the U.S. get meningitis. Ten percent of them die. Of those who live, 11-19 percent lose an arm, a leg, or maybe both. Many have problems with their nervous systems.
But, there is good news: There are preventable forms of meningitis, and provider offices routinely stock vaccinations to protect children and teens against them. Twenty-eight states and Washington, D.C., require teens to have the meningitis vaccine before entering college or secondary school. Unfortunately, Maine isn’t one of them. Therefore, it’s even more important to get the word out so that Maine parents know the risk to their children and teens.
The CDC recommends that children be immunized at 11 or 12 and then get a booster shot at 16 as they attend boarding schools, prepare to attend college or live in other communal spaces. Even if your child isn’t immunized until age 15, he or she should still get a booster dose before heading to college or other joint living spaces.
As you’re making your fall “to do” list, put your child’s health at the top and make an appointment to get the meningitis vaccination. Meningococcal vaccine is safe, effective and readily available.
Parents should feel comfortable immunizing their children against this horrible disease. If you know for sure your child has already received the recommended doses for his or her age, it is still a good idea to call your child’s health care provider to ensure all of their other shots are up to date as well. There’s more than just meningitis circulating in dorms, apartments and locker rooms!
Vaccinations are not just for your children’s sake, but for the sake of those around them.
Dr. Steven Feder is a pediatrician in Boothbay Harbor and the immediate past president of the Maine Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.