Does meningococcal vaccination make sense? Meningococcus inspire fear and panic. And rightly so, because they are very virulent and can trigger the rapid development of many diseases, including invasive meningococcal disease, meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia. Therefore, it is worth vaccinating against meningococci.

Does themeningococcal vaccination make sense? Meningococci are very virulent and can trigger the rapid development of many diseases, including pharyngitis, pneumonia, otitis media, pericarditis, endocarditis, arthritis and other organ inflammation, invasive meningococcal disease, meningitis, sepsis. Invasive meningococcal disease can be fatal within just a few hours of onset of symptoms - the breeding period is 2 to 10 days (usually 3 to 4 days). The prognosis is determined by the speed of diagnosis and administration of antibiotics. Delaying the start of treatment by even several dozen minutes can be fatal.

Meninkogoki from group B and Care the most dangerous

Meningococci are bacteria that cause invasive meningococcal disease, with sepsis or meningitis. Of the 5 types of meningococci causing the most cases in the world, meningococcus serogroups B and C dominate in Poland and Europe. They cause the majority, because over 90 percent. Illness. Invasive meningococcal disease is a particular threat to young children - 8 out of 10 cases of IChM in children in the first year of life are caused by serogroup B. A child may become infected with meningococcal disease as a result of contact with an asymptomatic carrier of these microbes, less often with a sick person. The infection is transmitted by airborne droplets and through close, direct contact with the secretions from the upper respiratory tract of the host or the patient .¹

Experts from the National Institute of Public He alth - National Institute of Hygiene (NIZP-PZH) reported that about 70 percent. all cases of meningococcal infection ended in sepsis in 2016.¹

Possible IChM symptoms that are particularly worth paying attention to are:

  • fever
  • fatigue
  • vomiting
  • cold hands and feet
  • cold chills
  • severe pains in muscles, joints, chest and abdomen
  • fastbreath
  • diarrhea

Invasive meningococcal disease proceeds very quickly, the symptoms are confusing, and the time to react and help the doctor is very short. Often the first symptoms resemble the flu and are treated with home remedies. Unfortunately, the infection progresses rapidly and can be fatal within 24 hours. Usually, patients are admitted to the hospital in a serious condition, when, despite treatment, the disease can cause serious and permanent consequences in the child.

Despite intensive hospital treatment, IChM may have permanent consequences, such as hearing loss, brain damage or limb amputation. Invasive meningococcal disease is respected by anyone who has de alt with an affected person. It is important to know and remember that meningococcus may be the cause of sepsis. This is not common knowledge - according to Millward Brown research, only 9 percent. of respondents mentioned sepsis as a possible consequence of meningococcal infection.

Source: Invasive meningococcal disease (IChM) in Poland in 2016 Data from KOROUN

According to an expertbow. Alicja Mażarska-Pazio - pediatrician and neonatologist at CM Damian

Invasive meningococcal disease is characterized by a dynamic and unpredictable course. It can take the form of sepsis (sepsis), which is blood poisoning, or inflammation of the meninges. It also happens that it runs under both characters at the same time. The fact that the disease can develop extremely quickly - even within 24 hours, resulting in the death of previously completely he althy people - is luscious to the imagination.

If proper treatment is started too late, mortality can reach 70-80%. Even after successful treatment of invasive meningococcal disease, many patients risk permanent neurological complications, skin and tissue defects, or amputation of the limbs.

If the disease can attack at an express pace and carries such serious consequences, it becomes extremely important to recognize it early and start appropriate treatment immediately. So what are the first symptoms that could put us on the right track? Experts emphasize that, unfortunately, the symptoms are not characteristic and it is easy to confuse them with, for example, influenza (fever, headache or joint and muscle pain). It is worth noting that the symptoms of invasive meningococcal disease change during its development. The symptoms accompanying the disease may include vomiting, drowsiness, lack of appetite, difficulty breathing, decreased muscle tone, convulsions and pain in the limbs. The youngest children most often experience convulsions, loss of appetite or restlessness.A characteristic, but not always present, symptom is a petechial rash that does not fade under pressure. We can examine it by performing the so-called glass test, i.e. pressing the side of the glass against the changes on the skin. In the case of meningococcal infection, the spots will not fade under pressure.

Source: www.zasz tendsiewiedza.pl

You must do it

You can get vaccinated

Meningococcal sepsis is a very serious condition, but parents' low awareness of sepsis and meningococcal sepsis, which may be one of its causes, means that relatively few mothers decide to get vaccinated. A study by Millward Brown found that only 5 out of 100 mums participating in the study had their children vaccinated against meningococcus. This is because mums have limited knowledge about meningococcal infection. Importantly, prophylaxis of meningococcal infections is possible. Vaccination is available against meningococcus, including serogroup B, which is most common in our geographical region. In Poland, immunization against meningococcus belongs to the group of recommended, i.e. paid, vaccinations. It is worth knowing that children can be vaccinated after they are 2 months old.

Source: www.wyprzedzmeningokoki.pl

Meningococcal vaccine - indications

The meningococcal vaccine is on the recommended vaccination schedule. Experts indicate that in the case of meningococcal vaccination in Poland, infants and young children should be vaccinated against meningococcal group B in the first place .¹ In addition, the meningococcal vaccine is indicated: ²

The meningococcal vaccine is recommended for infants from the age of 2 months on, as the most cases of invasive meningococcal disease occur in the first year of life.

  • children and adults at risk of invasive meningococcal disease: with close contact with a sick person or with infectious material (medical staff, laboratory workers), staying in community (kindergartens, nurseries, orphanages, student houses, boarding houses, barracks) , people with behavior conducive to infection (intimate contacts with the carrier or a sick person, e.g. a deep kiss), people traveling
  • children and adults with congenital immunodeficiencies: with anatomical or functional asplenia, HIV-infected, malignant neoplasm, rheumatic disease, chronic kidney and liver disease, treated with eculizumab for paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria or atypicalhemolytic uremic syndrome, people treated with immunosuppressants
  • children from the age of 2 months and older who are at risk of immunodeficiencies and adolescents and people over 65 at high risk of developing the disease

Meningococcal vaccine - scheme

Until 2014, only a vaccine that protects against menigococcus C was available. cases of invasive meningococcal disease, however, are responsible meningococcal serogroup B - against which the vaccine against meningococcus C did not protect.

The meningococcal group B vaccine can be administered with other vaccinations from the vaccination schedule. However, it does not protect against meningococcal type C, against which children can be vaccinated with a different vaccine.

Depending on when we start to vaccinate the child, they are given 2 to 4 doses of the vaccine.

  • If a child between 2 and 5 months of age is vaccinated, 3 doses will be given at 1 year of age, plus a booster dose at 2 years of age.
  • If a child between 6 and 11 months of age is vaccinated, 2 doses will be given at 1 year of age, plus a booster dose at 2 years of age.
  • if a child aged 12 months to 2 years is vaccinated, 2 doses are given, plus a booster dose (12-23 months after primary vaccination)
  • if a child over 2 years of age is vaccinated, 2 doses of the vaccine are given

The vaccine is payable, the cost of one dose is approximately PLN 350.

Worth knowing

Types of Meningococcal Vaccines

There are various types of vaccines on the Polish market that protect against one or four groups of meningococci. Each vaccination is in the form of an injection. From the age of two months, a toddler can be vaccinated against meningococcal serogroups B and C. Older children, over 12-24 months of age, can be vaccinated against four meningococcal serogroups (A, C, W-135 and Y).

Meningococcal vaccination may prevent meningitis and sepsis

Source: lifestyle.newseria.pl

Source:

1. www.wyprzedzmeningokoki.pl

2. Immunization Program 2022

3. www.zaszczkasiewiedza.pl

Category:

Infectious diseases