As reported last week, a mother who lost her daughter to Meningitis B, took a bus load of kids to Canada this past weekend to get vaccinated against this strain of meningitis. You might recall we talked about this in April as these vaccines are now available in Canada. Her daughter died within 36 hours of presenting with a severe headache.
We have existing vaccines to other meningitis strains but until earlier this year we did not have access to the Meningitis B vaccines as Europe and Australia did. We saw several Men B infections in Princeton and a death related to this preventable infection. While U.S. officials declared emergency action and vaccinated thousands of U.S. college students it still has not been given approval states side despite the request to fast track its release. We in Canada received approval and many of us are offering the vaccines. The American Centre for Disease Control (CDC) does currently recommend vaccination for infants, children and adults older than 2 months but only for those who are at increased risk and does not presently include the meningitis B vaccine.
Here in Canada we have the vaccine but it is not publicly funded.
However- for a number of years, the number of people infected with meningococcal serogroup B has been much higher in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region than in other Quebec regions, relative to the population. This meningococcal serogroup B vaccination campaign will run from May 5, 2014, to Dec. 31, 2014. It targets individuals age 2 months to 20 years old who live or go to school in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region. Vaccination is voluntary and free of charge.
The decision to implement this vaccination campaign in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region is based on experts' recommendation due to its unique situation and to availability of a vaccine. No meningococcal serogroup B vaccination campaign is planned elsewhere in Québec or Canada as far as I an aware.
The vaccine is also available free of charge for people of any age who are at high risk of meningococcal serogroup B infection, such as those who no longer have a spleen. It is also offered free to those who are in close contact with someone who has had a serious meningococcal serogroup B infection.
Available now on the Health Canada web site are the Canadian guidelines for the Meningitis B vaccine. As they point out with the declining incidenxe of Meningitis C, the serogroup B makes up the vast majority of reported cases- 62 per cent due to B versus 2 per cent of C. We see about 111 annual cases. The incidence is highest in infants less than a year, then 1 to 4 year olds and then 15 to 19 year olds. Talk to your health care provider.
