100% safe vaccine vs meningitis

• April 19, 2024

The meningococcal disease It is the main cause of meningitis , an infection of the fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Anyone can get the meningococcal disease ; however, it is more common in babies younger than one year and in people with certain medical problems, such as a lack of spleen.

According to the doctor Roberto Debbag , pediatric infectious disease the main risk groups are children under 4 years old and economically active people (25 to 40 years old)

The meningococcal infections they can be treated with medications such as penicillin; However, in the United States, 1 in 10 people who contract this disease die and many others are affected for life.

In Mexico, the meningitis It is an uncontrolled disease in its entirety, due to the fact that during the period 2000-2009 there were 462 cases, 56% more than in the previous decade.

In this regard, a few weeks ago it was announced that the new meningococcal vaccine for groups C, W, Y, B is already in hospitals and private health centers. Sanofi Pasteur .

The vaccine, called Menactra , is intramuscular administration containing capsular polysaccharide antigens of Neisseria meningitidis conjugated individually to the diphtheria toxoid protein.

This new vaccine can be applied as early as nine months of age; It has a 100% efficiency. For those under two years, two doses should be applied and for those over two years with a single application; Meningitis mainly affects children under the age of four, but also young people and adults:

"60 million doses have been distributed around the world and now it's time for Mexico; the results are surprising and prevention is key to our health; we are all exposed, "Debbag said.

It is expected that in a short time the vaccine Menactra be in public health centers, because the average cost of this ranges between 1,500 and 2 thousand pesos.