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Created for MissingB.ca
One of the greatest achievements in public health has undoubtedly been the development of vaccines to help prevent and control the spread of deadly diseases. For more than half a century, in Canada as well as in many other parts of the world where there are strong vaccination programs, vaccines have lowered the rates of infectious diseases such as measles and pertussis (whooping cough). In Canada, both polio and smallpox have been eliminated because of vaccines.
Starting as early as birth to two months and continuing through childhood and beyond, children in Canada benefit from a routine vaccination schedule that helps prevent potentially devastating vaccine-preventable diseases. One such vaccine preventable disease is invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), an infection caused by the bacteria N. meningitidis, which can lead to meningococcal meningitis. Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but serious infection that occurs when meningococcal bacteria infect the outer lining around the brain and spinal cord. IMD can also lead to blood poisoning.
There are several strains of the bacteria that can cause meningococcal disease. Vaccination against one of the disease-causing strains, strain C is included in the routine vaccination schedules across Canada and may be required in some provinces before children can go to school. The other most common bacteria strains are A, B, W-135 and Y.
Meningitis B is a form of IMD that i...