Quelling a Killer: The Case For the Meningococcal Vaccine

[question everything]

The Wall Street Journal

HEALTH JOURNAL
By MELINDA BECK

Quelling a Killer: The Case For the Meningococcal Vaccine
August 5, 2008; Page D1

The stories sound chillingly similar. A healthy teenager comes down with what seems like the flu, then gets rapidly weaker, spikes a high fever, starts vomiting and breaks out in a rash. By the time he or she gets to the hospital, infection is overwhelming the body's defenses and shutting down vital organs. David Pasick, a 13-year-old in Wall Township, N.J., was dead in less than 24 hours. Evan Bozof, a Georgia college student, lingered for 26 days while doctors amputated all four limbs in a futile attempt to save him.

Meningococcal meningitis strikes just 1,400 to 2,800 Americans a year -- but with terrifying speed and consequences. Roughly 10% of victims die, often hours after symptoms set in. About 15% of those who survive are left with brain damage, hearing loss or amputations; gangrene sets in rapidly if the disease disrupts blood flow to the limbs. Many victims are adolescents and college kids living away from home for the first time.

As a new TV ad points out, the disease is largely preventable with a vaccine called Menactra, licensed in the U.S. in 2005. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommends Menactra for all 11-to- 18-year-olds. As of 2006, however, only 12% of those eligible had received the vaccine. Sanofi Pasteur, the manufacturer, expects the rate to rise to 50% this year. Even so, that leaves tens of millions of teenagers unprotected. That's partly because adolescents tend to steer clear of the doctor's office. "Parents are supposed to take their child to the pediatrician every year, and that happens till they're about age six," says Carol J. Baker, a professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston. "Then parents start forgetting. Pediatricians don't nag them and schools don't require it."

The CDC is pushing the idea of an adolescent doctor visit to discuss a range of health issues as well as get the meningitis vaccine, a diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis booster and the human papilloma virus shot for girls. But unlike infants and toddlers, who don't have much say in their vaccines, "adolescents often need to be educated about the need," says Dr. Baker. Starting this fall, New Jersey will require sixth graders to be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. Other states require college students to be vaccinated or sign a waiver saying that they have been informed and opted not to have it.

About 15% to 20% of the population carries the meningococcal bacterium without having any symptoms. But such carriers can transmit it to people who are more susceptible, via sneezing, coughing, kissing or sharing drinks or cigarettes. That's why the disease often hits people living in close quarters like college dorms and sleep-away camps. Teens who are run down and sleep-deprived are especially vulnerable, and the lack of supervision means that symptoms aren't always recognized early.

(snip)



URL for this article:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121788395543011209.html (subscription)


A disclaimer: I don't know the first thing about this topic and am not associated with any of the organizations mentioned, but if I had young kids at home, I would really be scared..

[Taverner]

1. A college buddy of mine died in Basic Training because of that

They sent him to the hospital, thinking it was the flu - but taking no chances. Despite acting quickly, he was gone in 24 hours.

RIP buddy.

[question everything]

5. How horrible. And how shocking this must have been for you

at the time. Perhaps even today.

[Taverner]

8. Yeah - it was not good

It sucks to go down like that

[kestrel91316]

2. Waiting for the anti-vaccine contingent to show up and

piss all over this thread.........

:popcorn:

[notadmblnd]

3. so approximately 280 people die of this a year, yet you are scared to death

looks like the pharmaceutical company has a pretty effective ad.

that's 280 out of 300,000,000 people in the US. If you feel the need to protect yourself, by all means take the vaccine. I think I'll go on with my life without it.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted sub-thread

Sub-thread removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Beregond2]

7. If your child turned out to be one of the 280,

how would your attitude sound then? Any sensible parent would weigh the possible cost against the hour, perhaps, of inconvenience, and conclude there is no sensible reason not to have their children vaccinated.

[trotsky]

9. The key word in your post is of course "sensible."

You can throw that right out the window when it comes to some people and vaccines.

[notadmblnd]

12. my child can weigh the risks and decide for himself when he becomes an adult

or enters college.

[Orrex]

11. Threefer Madness!

looks like the pharmaceutical company has a pretty effective ad.

Those big pharma money-grubbers will do whatever it takes to fatten their profit margins, even if they have to save lives to do it.

[Heddi]

13. Have you ever seen someone with Meningitis?

I have. And I've seen them linger in ICU for weeks getting better, and sicker, and better, and sicker until they either get better permanently, or get sicker and die.

It is horrible horrible horrible. Horrible and painful for the patient and even worse on the family.

The thing is that not everyone who gets it dies. No, they just hang out quarrantined in a hospital along with their quarrantined family for a few weeks or a month until they get better enough to live without a respirator.

Every year there are stories of meningitis outbreaks among college students who are otherwise healthy, athletic, etc. They die because their parents may have been like you, you know, "not buying into the marketing hype". So they go off to live in dormitories, which are perfect breeding grounds for meningitis (which is why most of those killed are college age) and they get the sniffles, then a fever and a ridiculous headache, and 48 hours later they're dead.

Yeah, that's some fucking marketing there. Hmmm....a $20 shot, or death. I'll take death, please. I mean, we wouldn't want to buy into marketing hype or anything.

Oh, and I notice you just pay attention to the number of deaths, as if you either get it and die, or get it and have no consequences. Apparently you missed this part of your cherry-picking:

Meningococcal meningitis strikes just 1,400 to 2,800 Americans a year -- but with terrifying speed and consequences. Roughly 10% of victims die, often hours after symptoms set in. About 15% of those who survive are left with brain damage, hearing loss or amputations; gangrene sets in rapidly if the disease disrupts blood flow to the limbs. Many victims are adolescents and college kids living away from home for the first time.

Yeah, just hype. Who would want to spare their 19 year old from dying, or having permanent brain damage? Pfft. I'm sure if they just took some more herbs, and relied on others with vaccinated immunity to save them, NONE OF THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED :eyes:

[Orrex]

15. My boss' twelve year old niece took a nap because she had a headache

Three hours later she rolled off of the couch, unresponsive. They rushed her to the hospital, and nine hours later she was dead from meningitis. It was totally out of the blue, with no forewarning, and it utterly shattered the family.


Yeah, this is an insignificant disease, all right.

[notadmblnd]

16. yes, in fact, I have

One of my sisters had the viral type about 15 years ago. Now obviously you just want someone to fight with, because in my other posts I have repeatedly said that if others feel the need then by all means have at it. I have also said that I will let my child decide for himself once he becomes an adult or goes to college. So what the hell is your problem with me?

280 out of 300 million people, is not exactly an epidemic. Hell, your kid has a much better chance of being killed in a car accident, are you going to stop him from driving all his life too? However, if you are so filled with fear by what your government and corporate America tells you. Then just take damn the shot.

[Orrex]

24. Your analogy is nonsensical

If one kid in a dorm gets into a car crash, it's unlikely to lead to an outbreak of car crashes (barring a pile-up on the interstate or the like).

But if one kid shows up with meningitis, then you might wind up with an outbreak, localized perhaps but still far more serious than it needs to be.

Colleges are entirely within reason to demand that incoming students be vaccinated against meningitis, for a host of reasons. Chief among them is the mitigation of potential danger, of course, but it's also likely that some litigious assholes (maybe even a Libertarian) would roll out their attorneys and sue the shit out of the school because it's a health hazard, or because it took insufficient preventative measures, or something like that.

However, if you are so filled with fear by what your government and corporate America tells you. Then just take damn the shot.

That piece of classic Libertarian sloganeering is also a classic piece of ad hominem reasoning. You diminish your opponent by implying that his/her arguments are motivated by fear rather than by reason.

[Warpy]

27. Viral meningitis and bacterial meningitis are completely different

Bacterial meningitis is the devastating disease that causes sudden death and can leave survivors armless, legless and brain damaged. That's the one we have a vaccine for.

That you don't know the difference is not surprising. There is an abundance of medical ignorance in this country, especially surrounding this disease.

How would you like to have a dead kid because you were too cheap or wound up in silly anti pharma dogma to get that kid a simple vaccination?

That's what you're playing with here.

Shame.

[notadmblnd]

29. Now I'm cheap, stupid and caught up in dogma

Whatever, apparently there's nothing that I could present to the "sky is falling" folk here that could possibly make them see my point which was and continues to be that the risk of contracting this is just not high enough to merit running out and getting vaccinated. You, are free to do what you want in regards to this sudden hysteria. But consider, probably a million people come down with the flu each year, approximately 36,000 die from it, as opposed 1400-2800 cases of meningitis with approx 140-280 deaths.

We're all not getting vaccinated against the flu and yet I don't see your righteous indignation being displayed in regards to those deaths.

Tell ya what, If I end up dieing from this affliction that is suddenly going to wipe us all of the face of the earth, I will release you from any obligation to cry at my funeral. In fact, I'll go a step further and allow you to piss and dance on my grave in celebration of your righteous indignation. Deal?

[Evoman]

30. Um...isn't the reason that the illness is so rare BECAUSE of vaccination?

[notadmblnd]

31. uh, no

Some colleges and universities perhaps, but it is not currently part of the mandated governmental vaccine program.

[Evoman]

32. You guys need to get a goverment that pays for this stuff. I didn't have to pay for my shot.

And I'm never going to get meningitis. You can't beat that.

[question everything]

26. Thank you for your first hand description

How horrible and sad for the victims and their families.

[trotsky]

14. You can be thankful that you and your children benefit from the rest of us

who understand the liberal social concept of "small shared risk, large shared reward."

[notadmblnd]

17. Oh what? I'm not a leech today?

yes, "small risk" is the key words here.

[trotsky]

18. Yeah, I know it's a tough concept for you libertarians to grasp.

That crazy old "social contract."

[notadmblnd]

19. there you go with the name calling again.

Can't you present an argument without resorting to calling people names? how about teaching our kids basic hygiene, like washing their hands, keeping their dorm rooms clean and not sharing utensils. How about educating yourself and them about the disease and to be able to recognize the symptoms? Or would that just be too much work?

[trotsky]

20. "Libertarian" isn't a name

It's a label. And since you referred to the idea of public vaccination as part of the "nanny state" it would seem to apply. Liberalism generally fits more with the idea of "we're all in this together" as opposed to the "fuck you, I've got mine" attitude you display.

[notadmblnd]

21. you accused me of being a libertarian and not a democrat

I'm pretty sure you meant that derogatorily. I never said anything against people that want the vaccine getting it. However, I believe in choice. Now if you feel you or your children need that shot, take it. My choice is not to. How you can translate that into a "fuck you" attitude is beyond me. Just because I want to use my brain and decide for myself if the benefits out weigh the risks instead of following blindly.. but in your book that makes me a libertarian.

on edit: I was under the impression we were discussing the meningitis vaccine, how did you come to the conclusion that I was against vaccine programs?

[trotsky]

22. You're a free rider.

You want... nay, NEED enough other people to accept the risk for there to be LESS risk for you. I.e., the amount you are calculating for yourself.

It's a selfish attitude, a libertarian one, and an uninformed one.

(What clued me in to your libertarian streak was your reference to the "nanny state" and mentioning why Democrats are hated. That post was deleted, of course.)

[notadmblnd]

23. as was yours calling me a leech

I don't think 280 people dieing of this disease per year necessitates us all running around like chicken little crying that the "sky is falling and that all of our children are going to die" My point is that there is very little risk to begin with. I don't care whether you get the vaccine or not. I'm not sitting back waiting to see what the long term results might be. I simply don't feel the need to protect myself against meningitis with this vaccine.

[trotsky]

25. But it's not just 280 deaths.

It's injury, it's permanent brain damage or disability, it's lost time. Your analysis is far too simplistic. But you evidently like it that way.

[ajh60]

33. Profit for Big Pharma

Any drug that can help save a life is worth it.BUT, This does not protect one from all forms, (one that causes 1/3 of all cases) This is a DTC (direct to Consumer) ad that is more hype than fact. Of Course get it for your child if you wish. But among the cause of deaths among Teens this is lower than car accidents. It is as they say, more sizzle than steak. It also does not work in all patients. Just an FYI, read up on it before you decide. Once you feel comfortable, then do as you like.

[leftchick]

4. I have two "tweens"

I expected to give them these vaccines before college. Now I think I will do it sooner since one son is a type1 Diabetic.

[hedgehog]

10. I asked my doctor today if I should bring my high school senior in

for this shot. All the other kids were vaccinated before going off to college. He said there was no reason to wait, but he can't give the shot and told me to go down to the county clinic. The reason? He can't get the vaccine!

[Evoman]

28. I got the shot when I was in high school. It was mandatory.

It hurt for two seconds, then I was fine. One kid in one of my classes missed class the next day because he got a slight fever, which may or may not have been related to the vaccine.

It was great....we went to the gym, lined up, and talked to our friends while we waited for the shot. A girl I really liked punched me in the arm afterwards.....it hurt, but it was totally worth it.