Commentary: Meningitis, the disease you may not see coming

Lynn Bozof
President, National Meningitis Association
Lynn Bozof is president of the National Meningitis Association

For many people, the word meningitis is a foreign word and sounds very clinical. You rarely hear about the damage this awful disease can do to people and their families until it hits a community. Yet, there is a vaccine that can protect you from this deadly disease and is often covered by your insurance plans or county health department.

Meningitis, or meningococcal disease, is an infection caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitides, or meningococcus. It’s estimated that 1 in 10 people are carriers of these bacteria and often have no signs or symptoms of disease. Meningococcal disease can easily be contracted and is spread from person to person via the exchange of bacteria through respiratory and throat secretions during close or lengthy contact.

There are many types of meningitis caused by different organisms, such as Hib, streptococcus, Group B strep, and many viral strains. The strain that we are concerned about for adolescents and young adults is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. This deadly bacteria can kill within hours.

The good news is that there are vaccines to protect against the five strains of Neisseria — A, B, C, Y and W-135. Many states now require this vaccine for middle school and high school entry. Many states also require this vaccine for college entry. For many years the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has called for routine vaccination for meningococcal meningitis with Men ACYW, which protects against strains A, C, W and Y.

A second dose of this vaccine is recommended at age 16. Up until a few years ago, there was no vaccine to protect against the B strain. There is now, and parents need to make sure that their 16-year-olds have received this vaccine. The B strain is responsible for all of the recent college outbreaks.

This disease is tragic, completely unexpected, often mistreated and rarely spoken about. On March 25, 1998, my life changed forever when my son, Evan Bozof, was diagnosed with meningitis and passed away shortly after. Had I known that a vaccine was available, I believe my son would be alive today.

Evan was an honors student and college athlete who was in excellent health. One day he complained of a migraine and shortly after, more symptoms began to affect him. Not long after visiting the emergency room, Evan was taken into the intensive care unit where for the next weeks he fought against the infection. Over the course of 26 days, Evan lost his arms and legs, which was followed by loss of his kidney function. Eventually, he suffered from 10 hours of seizures that ultimately led to irreversible brain damage.

At the time, I didn’t know that adolescents and young adults were the most susceptible for contracting meningococcal disease and that it was (and still is) vaccine-preventable. I’m astounded that after 20 years since Evan’s passing, I’m still fighting to increase awareness about the dangers of meningitis and the worst part is it’s preventable by vaccine.

Vaccinations not only save lives but provide long-term economic savings to our state’s massive health care budget. Immunizations are one of the best protections against disease that parents can provide for their children and themselves. It is up to us to protect our children from a threat they cannot see.

The National Meningitis Association is a nonprofit founded by parents whose children have died or live with permanent disabilities from meningococcal disease. The organization is on a mission to educate families, medical professionals and others about meningococcal disease and its prevention.

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