Your adolescent or teen probably doesn’t go to the doctor as often as he or she did in early childhood. That’s why it’s important to make the most of your child’s health-care visits. Any appointment is a good opportunity to ask about meningococcal vaccination. You should be especially aware of it at certain milestones, such as:
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Your child’s health-care provider is likely to recommend vaccination |
Meningococcal vaccination has been demonstrated to be safe. As with any vaccine, there are risks associated with meningococcal vaccination, and it may not protect 100% of individuals. Some reactions (e.g., pain, redness, and swelling at the site of injection, headache or fatigue) may occur. Vaccination should be avoided by persons with known hypersensitivity (severe allergic reaction) to any component of the vaccine, including latex, (which is used in the vial stopper), or by any persons previously diagnosed with Guillain-Barré syndrome. Caution should be exercised when vaccinating patients with a bleeding disorder, because intramuscular injection may cause bruising or collection of blood at the injection site.
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Here are some questions to ask your child’s doctor:
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Has my child been vaccinated against
meningococcal disease?
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If the answer is YES:
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When was my child vaccinated? |
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Is that vaccination still effective? |
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Are there any other steps I can take to protect my child from meningitis? |
If the answer is NO, your child was not vaccinated:
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Why wasn’t my child vaccinated? |
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Can he or she receive the vaccine now? |
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Isn’t the vaccine recommended by the CDC and medical professional societies? |
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Is meningococcal vaccination required to attend high school, summer camp, or college in our state? |
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