What is meningococcal disease?
Are there different types of meningococcal disease?
Does the Men C vaccine protect against all meningococcal disease?
How do people get Meningococcal Disease?
What are the signs and symptoms of Meningococcal disease?
Who is most at risk?
Can meningococcal disease be treated?
Is meningitis c serious?
How can Meningococcal C be prevented?
How effective is Meningococcal C vaccine?
What are the potential side effects of the vaccine?
Where can I find out more?
If you have any queries or concerns about vaccines please contact your GP or local health office
What is meningococcal disease?
Meningococcal disease is a life threatening illness.
This bacterial infection can cause meningitis (Inflammation of the lining around the brain) and septicaemia (Blood poisoning).
If you think your child or baby has signs of meningococcal disease get medical help immediately from your G.P. or nearest paediatric A&E
Are there different types of meningococcal disease?
Yes, Meningococcal disease results from a bacterial infection caused by Neisseria Meningitidis. There are many different types of meningococcal diseases .Of these two groups B and C account for almost all the cases of meningitis in Ireland. Meningococcal C (Men C) can be prevented by immunisation.
Does the Men C vaccine protect against all meningococcal disease?
No. Only Meningococcal C can be prevented by immunisation. Other strains of meningococcal infection are not covered by this vaccine. At this time there is no effective vaccine developed for meningococcal B disease in Ireland. It is very important to remain alert for symptoms of meningococcal disease. Urgent medical attention should be sought if symptoms occur.
How do people get Meningococcal Disease?
Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria that live at the back of the throat or in the nose. Most people who carry these bacteria remain well but they can spread the meningococcal bacteria to others.
The bacteria are spread through coughing, sneezing or directly through kissing. You need many hours of close personal contact to transmit meningococcal disease. This is because the bacteria do not survive long outside the body
What are the signs and symptoms of Meningococcal disease?
The onset of meningococcal disease is very quick and can cause meningitis
(Inflammation of the lining around the brain) and septicaemia( Blood poisoning).
If you think your child or baby has signs of meningococcal disease get medical help immediately from your G.P. or nearest paediatric A&E. In some cases acting quickly to get medical help can mean the difference between life and death.
More information available at www.meningitis-trust.org.uk
Who is most at risk?
Meningococcal disease may occur at any age but the highest rate of meningococcal disease occurs in children under 5 years of age, especially children under one year old..
The next highest risk group are young people aged 15-19 years. In Ireland the risk of infection is highest in winter and early spring.
Can meningococcal disease be treated?
The answer is yes. The earlier the diagnosis, the earlier treatment with antibiotics can begin and therefore the greater chance that the person will make a full recovery. Early diagnosis is the key so if you suspect that someone may have meningitis or septicaemia seek medical attention immediately.
Is meningitis c serious?
Yes meningitis c is a very serious life threatening illness. Of the people who get men C disease:
- 1 in 15 will die
- 1 in 10 people who recover from meningococcal disease will have a major disability such as deafness, brain damage or loss of fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms or legs
How can Meningococcal C be prevented?
Meningococcal C can be prevented by vaccination. The meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine (Men C) was introduced in Ireland in October 2000 into the infant immunisation schedule at 2, 4 and 6 months. A catch-up program was also launched at the time offering the vaccine to everyone up to and including 22 years of age.
How effective is Meningococcal C vaccine?
The Men C vaccine has been shown to be safe and is effective. It produces an immune response in young infants and gives long-term immunity against group C meningococcal disease.
Since the vaccine was introduced the number of group C cases has declined dramatically from 139 in 2000 to just 5 in 2003, a reduction of 96%.
Note: The Men C vaccine only protects against group C meningococcal disease and does not protect against other forms of the disease.(e.g. group B meningitis)
What are the potential side effects of the vaccine?
Of the babies who are immunised: - 1 in 20 babies will get redness or swelling where the injection was given 1 in 20 babies will get a fever 1 in 2 babies will become irritable
- 1 in 100 may get a tummy upset or vomit
Where can I find out more?
You can ask for further information regarding immunisation from your G.P., Public Health Nurse or Local HSE clinic.
See the Meningitis research foundation website
(Available at http://www.meningitis.org.uk/)
See the National Meningitis Trust (Available at www.meningitis-trust.org.uk)
See the National Immunisation Guidelines of Ireland 2002, Chapter 9 for more detailed information on Meningococcal infection at http://www.ndsc.ie
See the Health Protection Surveillance Centre web site for more detailed information on Bacterial Meningitis Available on http://www.ndsc.ie
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