Meningitis vaccine: Can infants get it?

My 8-month-old son may have been exposed to bacterial meningitis. He is current on all of his immunizations, including flu shots. Should he also receive the meningitis vaccine?

- No name given / Florida

Answer

A number of strains of bacteria can cause bacterial meningitis, including pneumococcus, haemophilus and meningococcus. And while there are vaccines for all three of these major bacterial causes of meningitis, there's no single meningitis vaccine that protects infants against all of these strains. Instead, several routine childhood immunizations — such as Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pneumococcal — protect against many types of bacteria that can cause meningitis. So your son may not need any additional vaccines. But check with his doctor.

Bacterial meningitis is a serious, sometimes deadly, infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord. By having your child immunized, you've already done the most important thing you can do to protect him against bacterial meningitis.

Though not approved for infants, two vaccines (MPSV4 and MCV4) are available for meningococcal meningitis — a common cause of bacterial meningitis. A meningococcal vaccine is routinely recommended for children at age 11. However, either of the meningococcal vaccines can be given to children as young as age 2 who are at high risk of bacterial meningitis or have been exposed to someone with the disease. An experimental meningococcal vaccine for infants is currently being studied.

If you know or suspect that your child has been exposed to bacterial meningitis, talk to your doctor as soon as possible about preventive antibiotics. Antibiotics reduce but don't eliminate the risk of developing the disease.

If your child becomes ill after exposure to bacterial meningitis — even after taking antibiotics — seek urgent medical attention. Signs and symptoms of meningitis in infants include excessive irritability or sleepiness, constant crying and poor eating.

Prompt diagnosis and treatment of bacterial meningitis is critical to prevent serious complications of the disease.

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• Meningitis

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