Concerned Parents of School-Aged Children: Be Aware of Meningitis, its Symptoms & immunization

There are few things worse than hearing of a meningitis breakout at an elementary school—one of those things would be having a child attending the school in question. With all the things parents need to worry about, we’d like to think that a meningitis outbreak would not even be on the list. These days, however, the newspapers seem to be filled with new outbreaks in varying areas of the country that are not considered high-risk in other ways. Thankfully, a meningitis vaccination is easily available at any certified travel clinic in your area.

Meningitis—even the word is frightening. What exactly is meningitis, who tends to catch it, and what can be done for it? Well, meningitis is an infection of the brain and spinal cord covering called the meninges. Infection can be either viral or bacterial. Basically, what we are talking about are your everyday run of the mill germs. Sometimes the same exact germs that cause ear infections—or an awful case of winter pneumonia—will somehow infect this very tender part of the brain. Doctors are still at a loss to explain exactly why. What they do know, among many other things, is that the viral variety of meningitis tends to be much more dangerous that the bacterial type of meningitis. But thankfully, a vaccination is available to anyone who is deemed to be in a high-risk group for meningitis.

In terms of infections, a large majority of meningitis is caused by some rather common stomach viruses. Sometimes the doctor will not even be able to diagnose which type of virus has caused the onset of meningitis in any particular patient. It is still a rather misunderstood disease in many respects. No one—doctors included—can say with any real authority who will come down with meningitis and who will not. Many of the details are still largely questioned by the professionals involved in combating this serious illness. However, all of their hard work has resulted in a vaccination, and for this we should be very thankful.

Who exactly is in the high-risk group of contracting meningitis? Although meningitis affects individuals of all ages, it is most commonly seen in children (and in older people, age sixty-five and higher). People who have weakened immune systems, perhaps due to certain types of cancers or auto immune diseases are also high risk, as are individuals who smoke and who are even victims of second-hand smoke in some cases. Thankfully, a vaccination does exist to help protect everyone in these high risk groups.

In recent years, meningitis has reared its ugly head at elementary schools, college campuses, and anywhere else young (or much older)people tend to be grouped together. Meningitis strikes between 1,500 to 3,000 Americans each and every year and causes an approximate 300 to 500 fatalities. Symptoms of this dread disease include fever, headache, body aches, tiredness, and nausea. In fact, many of these so-called symptoms seem like issues that arise due to many other medical problems—and they are. This is just another reason why it is so very important to visit a doctor and be aware of the meningitis vaccination if you are in a high-risk group.