Vaccine Meningitis - Vaccination Guide

Generality

The meningitis vaccine is a preventative measure, useful for reducing the risk of developing the main invasive bacterial forms of the disease.
Meningitis is an "inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord; this condition mainly depends on infections, but, in rare cases, it can also be caused by irritative processes and some diseases.

Among the various forms of meningitis, the most serious and dangerous are the bacterial ones, which can cause disabling or even lethal outcomes in the affected subject. The most feared infectious agent is meningococcus (Neisseria meningitidis), of which there are several serotypes (currently, 13 are known, but only 5 - A, B, C, Y, W135 and X - are clinically relevant, as they can cause epidemics and diseases that are dangerous for the " In Italy, meningococcus C is the most aggressive serotype and occurs most frequently together with the B strain.
At the moment, to prevent meningitis, vaccines in their monovalent (C and B) or quadrivalent (A-C-W135-Y) formulation represent the most effective tool to protect against the disease in a lasting way, reducing the risk of a severe course.

What is meningitis

Meningitis is an "inflammation of the meninges, the membranes that enclose and protect the brain and spinal cord.

Usually, this pathology recognizes an infectious cause, but there are also forms caused by irritative phenomena (eg drugs, neoplastic infiltration from primary brain tumors or metastases, physical lesions, etc.) and some systemic diseases (such as sarcoidosis and vasculitis).

For further information: Meningitis - Causes and Symptoms "