When do infants get meningitis vaccine

Bacterial meningitis requires immediate medical attention, and vaccines can protect against some types. People with properly functioning immune systems will usually recuperate on their own, while others may require medical attention. Vaccines prevent some types of viral meningitis.

This occurs through the inhalation of fungal spores. People with weakened immune systems are at higher risk of contracting it. It is not contagious and is usually treatable with antifungal medications. Various parasites can cause meningitis. Parasitic meningitis is much less common than viral and bacterial meningitis, and it is not generally contagious.

This is a rare and damaging infection of the brain. The cause is a microscopic ameba called Naegleria fowleri, which lives in warm water and soil. It is not contagious, and people usually contract it when swimming in water containing the ameba. According to the CDC , most people who receive a meningitis vaccine do not experience any serious side effects. The side effects that are linked to these vaccines are usually mild and should go away within a few days.

However, serious reactions are possible. Vaccines are essential to protect against meningitis. Infants and young children are especially at risk of the condition, as their immune systems are not fully developed and able to fight it off. Although viral meningitis is rarely life threatening, it can still make infants and young children very ill. Most will make a good recovery, but it can take a long time for them to fully overcome the illness. Bacterial meningitis can be fatal, so it requires immediate medical attention.

Find out more about the pneumococcal vaccine. The meningitis C vaccine offers protection against a type of bacteria called meningococcal group C bacteria, which can cause meningitis. Teenagers and first-time university students are also offered vaccination against meningococcal group C bacteria as part of the combined meningitis ACWY vaccine. The MMR vaccine offers protection against measles , mumps and rubella. Meningitis can sometimes occur as a complication of these infections.

The vaccine is usually given to babies at 1 year of age. Without treatment, almost all children who get meningococcal disease will die or suffer damage that lasts the rest of their lives. There are three kinds of meningococcal vaccine available in Canada.

Each vaccine provides different protection:. Talk to your doctor or local public health clinic to find out where and when your child should get vaccinated. Last updated: September Home Immunization Current: Meningococcal vaccine. Meningococcal vaccine Meningococcal diseases are caused by a germ a kind of bacteria called meningococcus. This germ can cause two serious diseases: Meningitis , an infection of the fluid and lining that cover the brain and spinal cord, and Septicemia , a serious blood infection that can damage many organs in the body.

During the two years of the test, there were none. One other piece of good news is that the vaccine appears to be extremely safe. Babies often react to the vaccination with fever, pain, redness and swelling around the arms but that problem has been prevented by routinely treating the babies with acetaminophen, beginning at the time of the shot. The lead author of the Australian study, Dr. Helen Siobhan Marshall of the University of Adelaide, did not respond to a request for an interview.