The ABCs (and WYs) of Meningococcal Meningitis

Back to school season is here!

It’s a change of gear for families as the carefree days of summer come to a close and new refreshed routines start as does a new school year. Sunscreen and swimming give way to backpacks and homework—and an upsurge in sick days as kids gather in classrooms and school buses.

As you prepare your kids for a new year, it’s important to help protect their health from the myriad germs and viruses that spread throughout fall and winter. One particularly concerning disease is meningococcal meningitis, a rare but dangerous bacterial infection that can present a greater risk to teens and young adults.

Pfizer has partnered with PEOPLE.com to alert parents of this risk and educate them on steps they can take to help protect their teens from all five leading types of meningococcal meningitis (A, C, W, Y, and B).

Teenagers and young adults are among the groups most at risk for meningococcal meningitis, which causes swelling in the lining surrounding the brain and spinal cord.¹ It commonly spreads via respiratory and throat secretions, like saliva, particularly when someone is in close or lengthy contact with a person who is infected.¹

According to the CDC, meningitis is one of the most common types of meningococcal infections, and though it is rare, it can be fatal.¹ Its symptoms are similar to those of the flu – fever, headache, stiff neck, confusion, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue – but they usually progress at a much faster rate.² 

The first step to helping prevent meningococcal meningitis in your teen is knowing what you’re up against, and together with PEOPLE.com, Pfizer is encouraging parents to discuss the disease and recommended vaccinations with their healthcare provider, as there is a concerning lack of awareness around the disease and its various types.

A 2023 survey conducted by Pfizer and Ipsos found that most parents (77%) could not identify all five leading types of the disease – at least half of them were unsure how many doses of either the MenACWY or MenB vaccines their teens had received – and 62% of parents didn’t know that death can occur within 24-48 hours as a result of the disease.³ 

Fortunately, there are effective ways to help prevent meningitis. But still, misconceptions and confusion about the recommended vaccine schedule emphasize a need to raise awareness for parents of young, active teens. 

In 2012, Patti Wukovits’ daughter Kimberly came home from school with a fever and body aches. By the next morning, she was rushed to the hospital.

Patti, a registered nurse, believed that her daughter was fully protected against the disease because she had been vaccinated. She was shocked when the doctors diagnosed Kimberly with meningococcal meningitis. 

Kimberly had received the MenACWY vaccine, but was not protected against Meningitis B. At the time, a vaccine for Meningitis B did not exist.⁴ Kimberly passed away three days before her high school graduation and was buried in the dress she planned to wear to prom.

Much like Patti, Alicia Stillman believed her daughter, Emily, a college sophomore, was protected against meningococcal meningitis as she had been vaccinated with a MenACWY vaccine. When Emily went to the hospital because of a persistent headache in 2013, the family assumed it was flu. 

Emily was diagnosed with Meningitis B and died just 36 hours later. 

Today, meningitis vaccines exist for all five common meningococcal bacteria – lessening the changes of other parents having to live through Patti and Alicia’s stories. While many parents believe their children are fully vaccinated, there are a concerning number who don’t fully understand the need to protect against all five leading types of meningococcal meningitis.⁵ 

Patti and Alicia have since partnered together to create the American Society for Meningitis Prevention to help educate parents and teens about the disease, its risks, and how to prevent it.  

Parents should discuss their teen’s risk of meningococcal meningitis with their healthcare provider and with their teens, to ensure that they are vaccinated against all five leading types of the disease, and to be aware of the symptoms so treatment can be provided immediately. 

Learn more about Patti and Alicia’s work or how vaccines help protect against all five leading types of meningococcal meningitis via our article on PEOPLE.com, and visit American Society for Meningitis Prevention.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Meningococcal Disease. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/index.html. Accessed August 2024.
2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal Disease Symptoms and Complications. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/symptoms/index.html. Accessed August 2024. 
3. Ipsos Market Research. Pfizer Meningococcal Health Care Professional & Consumer Parents Survey Final Report. 2023 (Data on File). Accessed August 2024.
4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About Meningococcal Vaccines. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/hcp/about-vaccine.html. Accessed August 2024.
5. Esposito S, Principi N, Cornaglia G; ESCMID Vaccine Study Group (EVASG). Barriers to the vaccination of children and adolescents and possible solutions. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2014;20 Suppl 5:25-31. Accessed August 2024.