Meningitis is a serious infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord, which can cause brain damage and can be fatal in some cases. Most meningitis is of viral etiology, but in this case we are going to focus on bacterial meningitis, more specifically Neisseria meningitidis which can cause large epidemics.
The Neisseria meningitidis, Also called meningococcus, it is the bacterium that causes meningococcal meningitis. This group of bacteria are classified according to their capsular polysaccharides into 12 serogroups, and of them: A, B, C, W-135 e Y, They are the cause of the vast majority of cases of meningococcal disease. Depending on the serogroup, the geographical distribution and epidemiological potential vary.
Se transmit person to person by droplets of respiratory or throat secretions, and infection is favored by close and prolonged contact with infected persons.
Los symptoms The most common are neck stiffness, high fever, photosensitivity, confusion, headache, and vomiting. Even with rapid medical action in terms of diagnosis and treatment, there is a percentage of infected patients who have repercussions such as brain damage, deafness, learning disabilities and even death, generally in the first 24-48 hours after the onset of symptoms.
He treatment it is antibiotic, after confirmation of the diagnosis by lumbar puncture.
Vaccines play a key role in the prevention:
Vaccines marketed in Spain:
In the Community of Madrid, following the lifelong vaccination schedule, two doses of the meningococcal C vaccine are administered at 4 and 12 months of age. At age 12, adolescents are vaccinated with the quadrivalent vaccine against serotypes A/C/W135/Y. On the other hand, the recruitment and vaccination of adolescents up to 18 years of age who have not yet been vaccinated with the quadrivalent vaccine, will be carried out progressively, being able to consult the information for mothers and fathers in the website of the Ministry of Health.
On the other hand, the vaccine against meningitis B, the AEP vaccine advisory committee (Spanish Association of Pediatrics) recommends giving it to children from two months following the vaccine dosage schedule according to the age of the child at the time of the first dose. In the Community of Madrid it is financed in children born on or after November 1, 2022and 3 doses are administered, at 2, 4 and 12 months of age.
The Interterritorial Council of the National Health System also recommends a common vaccination schedule throughout life. You can check it in this link.
If you have questions about vaccination guidelines, adverse effects, etc., you can consult your pharmacist.
Cristina García-Agullo Pardo.
Pharmacist of the COFM Technical Information Service.
2023-05-16 07:33:37
#Vaccines #meningococcal #meningitis #confuse
