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Kelly Rodriguez
Professor Hull
English 2010
September 24, 2011
Meningitis and Vaccines Report
Brazilian Meningitis Epidemic
On August 1974 a meningococcal meningitis epidemic broke out in Sao Paulo Brazil, a
metropolitan city with a population of 20 million. Meningitis strains are usually killed off by
using the common antibiotics such as penicillin or ampicillin. However, this strain of meningitis
was different from other cases as the preferred antibiotics were not effective even in massive
doses. The strain of meningitis that was being passed around from person to person was Type A
which is resistant to sulfa- based antibiotics. Very few people were naturally immune to this
strain, and it attacked adults under twenty-five years of age and teenagers. It was discovered
that most meningitis sufferers came from favelas,
areas that poverty-stricken people live, with dense
housing and poor hygiene people rarely bathed, or
washed clothing. They would share towels, and
other common household items and the meningitis
bacteria was easily spread. (Garrett).
Fig. 1: Picture
of a favela. Crowded living conditions and poor hygiene
are one of the causes of the rapid spread of meningitis.
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France’s Institut Merieux manufactured a combination of Types A and C vaccines for
Brazil. The vaccines were made from the polysaccharides, the polymers of sugars of the
meningitis bacteria. On January 13, 1975 Rio de Janeiro officials began a twelve day vaccination
program for the upcoming Carnival. 80 percent of the population (three million) of greater Rio
was vaccinated. Only ten people were infected during the week of carnival. In April of that
same year, a three day campaign was established to vaccinate 90 percent of Sao Paulo’s
residents (11 million). In 1976 Meningitis cases ceased to be a serious problem in Brazil
(Garrett).
There were many people that died as a result of contracting meningitis and antibiotic
resistant strains from this epidemic. Many organizations want people to get vaccinated for this
disease, but there are also people against vaccination because of the risks of getting brain and
spinal cord damage that, at times, affect a person who has just received a certain vaccine. In
this report, I am going to give facts about meningitis, the vaccine that can help prevent this
disease, and vaccine controversies that have caused many debates around the world.
What is Meningitis?
Meningitis is a severe bacterial infection that attacks the coverings of the brain and
spinal cord which are called meninges. The meninges become inflamed due to the bacterial
infection that is present in the Pia Mater, which is the softest membrane that is closest to the
surface of the brain (Rasmussen). Rasmussen also mentioned that “meningitis is caused by the
bacterium Neisseria meningitis, a meningococcal infection that is spread from person to person
transported by mucoid droplets when someone sneezes.” This disease spread from person to
person makes this disease very easy to contract.
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If a person is left untreated, this disease can kill them in less than twenty-four hours.
Some survivors of this disease are left with different ranges of damage in the brain and spinal
cord while others were left with lifelong disabilities from losing extremities due to the bacteria
attacking those areas.
According to the CDC “10 to 14 percent of people who get bacterial meningitis die each
year, even when they have been treated with
antibiotics. For those who survive, another 11 to 19
percent lose a limb, become deaf, suffer from
learning disabilities and/or have nervous system
problems among other long-term health issues.”
(CDC). This quote tells us that many people who
contract this disease do not fully recover, and are
left with life-long disabilities.
Fig. 2: Neisseria meningitides under
the microscope with gram negative stain.
Vaccines used for treating meningitis
There are three vaccines available for use in the United States for meningococcal
meningitis: Menomune, Menactra, and Menveo. “These three vaccines can prevent the four
types of meningitis that represent 70 percent of cases in the United States” (WebMD).
Menactra is the preferred vaccine to use in people from nine months to age fifty-five. According
to the National Network for Immunization Information (NNII).
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Menomune vaccine is 85% to 100% effective at preventing
infection from the strains of the meningococcus used in the
vaccine, and protection lasts for at least three years.
Children under two years of age respond poorly to
the vaccine. Menactra and Menveo induce higher
production of antibodies. (NNII)
Fig. 3: A bar graph which shows the
risk groups of people who can
contract meningitis (per 100,00
people)
Menactra and Menveo can both provide lasting protection which can decrease the
amount of people that can carry around meningitis. In other regions of the world such as Africa,
there has been in introduction of a new vaccine and these vaccines are “developed at a cost
less than fifty cents a dose, this vaccine is a highly affordable solution to one of the region’s
most feared health threats.” (Africa News)
Who Should Get Vaccinated?
According to the Centers for Disease Control “All 11-18 year olds need to be vaccinated,
and a booster dose needs to be given at the age of 16.” (CDC). The website from the
Immunization Action Coalition states that The meningitis vaccine is recommended for other
people at an increased risk of meningococcal disease which includes:
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Persons 19–21 years if they are entering college or are in a college or university
setting.
Individuals who have a damaged or missing spleen.
People with persistent complement component deficiency (an immune system
disorder).
People working with meningococcus bacteria in laboratories.
Travelers to certain countries in sub-Saharan Africa as well to other countries for
which meningococcal vaccine is recommended (e.g., travel to Mecca, Saudi
Arabia, for the annual Hajj).
U.S. military recruits.
Anyone who might have been exposed to meningitis during an outbreak. (IAC).
Fig 3: Gross Specimen of the brain of a
baby showing meningitis, an infection of
the tissues lining the brain. The infection
is seen as the yellow areas at the upper
and lower centre (Science Photo Library).
Is the Vaccine Safe?
There are many parents who do
not want to vaccinate their child due to
many controversies that vaccines cause autism. Researchers have not found a definitive link
between vaccines causing autism. According to organizations such as the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health
Organization, “there is not enough evidence to support the contention that vaccines cause
children to develop autism” (Autism Speaks). As to any vaccine there are certain risks and
allergic reactions that a person might develop; any person that is life-threatening allergic
reaction to any of the ingredients that are used to make the vaccine should not receive the
dose.
Vaccine Controversy
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There have been a number of controversies on whether or not vaccines should be given
to children and adults. Many people state that vaccines can cause autism or that vaccines have
high amounts of toxins that can build up in a persons’ body system which can cause them to
develop a brain or spinal cord disease. On the other end many state that vaccines can help save
lives and that benefits outweigh the risks when it comes to getting a disease. Here are two
different viewpoints from two very different people.
Parents’ Perspective
Frankie Milley is the founder of and national executive director of Meningitis Angels, a
website for vaccine awareness across the country. She is also a parent of a child who died from
contracting meningitis at the age of eighteen. Frankie Milley works with other organizations
and public health departments to ensure that people are educated and protected from deathly
diseases. She stated that
We must stop this [meningitis] deathly disease that takes infants’ lives or leaves
them debilitated. We must work for stronger education, recommendations,
acessability and continue to research and develop new and better vaccines to
stop this disease, not only in America but around the world. (Milley).
Jenny McCarthy had an early career working as a playboy model and is an MTV star,
after her son Evan was born and diagnosed with autism. Jenny McCarthy became an advocate
for family issues and a best-selling author of many books for parents with autistic children.
McCarthy is also the president of Generation Rescue, a non-profit organization that blames
vaccines for causing autism and other disorders in children. She wants companies to “make
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safer vaccines” and claims that most vaccines are filled with mercury, stating that “[vaccines]
still have mercury in these shots because it’s a very, very cheap. They can completely use
something else, but they won’t make as much of a profit, because it is the cheapest
preservative.” (McCarthy on PR Magazine).
Experts’ Perspective
Karen Midthun M.D is the director of the Office of Vaccines and Research and Review
(OVRR), Center for Biologics and Research (CBER), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
Midthun stated that “Up until the introduction of an infant vaccine, an estimated 20,000 case
of invasive Haemophilus type B disease, primarily meningitis, occurred annually in the US, now
because of vaccination, the number of invasive Hemophilus type B has been decreased by 98
percent.” This quote says that because of early vaccination in children, the number of cases of
Hemophilus type B has gone down.
On the other hand, Robert Mendelsohn M.D. is a doctor who is known by others to go
against what is taught in medical school as he opposes vaccination. Mendelsohn claims that
there is “no convincing scientific evidence that mass inoculations can be credited with
eliminating and childhood disease.” He mentions that vaccinations are not the cause of the
reducing number of diseases in the modern world.
On the News
Great Britain issued a mass vaccination program for all children and teens up to the age
of 18, and most importantly, vaccinating them with the meningitis vaccine. But government
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papers that were obtained by The Observer, British newspaper has reported that “there have
been more than 16,000 adverse reactions that are possibly linked to two series of vaccines have
been reported in the last 10 months.”(Devitt). This newspaper also stated that doctors and
nurses had to contact the government health departments if any of their patients had any
allergic reactions, and there are conflicting reports giving by the Committee of Safety of
Medicines, and other government publications. Devitt mentioned that “12 deaths [occurred] in
people who had been recently vaccinated have been reported to the CSM.” (Devitt). The
Observer and Devitt want the right information to be given to the public and aware them that
this vaccine can make them sick.
Is This Vaccine Effective?
The numbers of cases of meningitis are declining, thanks to vaccination around the
world. Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger report the lowest number of confirmed meningitis cases
ever recorded during an epidemic season this year following the introduction of a new vaccine
that could eliminate the primary cause of the deathly disease from Africa’s meningitis belt.
(Africa News). According to a study done by the New England Journal of Medicine,
Over the past eight years, a vaccine that guards against pneumococcal meningitis
has slashed the number of new cases posted for children under the age of two.
Investigators determined that the number of new cases of meningitis, an
inflammation around the brain, plunged 64 percent between 1999 and 2005.
(NEJM).
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David Carney, an attorney specialized in FDA and prescription drug cases states that
“The best preventative measure against meningitis is to still keep up to date with
immunizations, and to also receive a booster shot every two-three years.” (Carney).
There are also other cases that vaccines are ineffective, according to Peter Wenger a
pediatrician at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey,
“The vaccine covers 90 percent of the most common strains of meningococcal
infection. The vaccine intentionally "does not cover" certain strains of the
bacterial infection purposefully, due to complications such vaccinations could
cause within the body’s immune system.” (Wenger).
Wenger mentions that certain vaccines do not cover all strains of a disease because it
can wreak havoc to a persons’ immune system. Even if a person does get a vaccine for a
disease, it can still kill them if the right amount of bacteria is present and if their immune
system is weak, making a vaccine ineffective.
Conclusion
There are vaccines that are available to prevent certain diseases and there are also
many debates and controversies about how these vaccines are made and the ingredients that
are used as preservatives. There have also been a number of studies done by experts to prove if
the right amounts of ingredients are used to make these vaccines. This is a topic that will
remain popular throughout life, as more and more vaccines become available.
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Works Cited
“Brain with meningitis” Photograph. CNRI/Science Photo Library. Web. 24 Sep 2011.
Carney, David. “How Effective is a Meningitis Vaccine.” Blog Network. 25/01/2011. Web. 16 Oct
2011.
"Dramatic Fall in Cases of Meningitis In Three Nations After New Vaccine Introduction [press
release]." Africa News Service 9 June 2011. Gale Opposing Viewpoints In Context. Web.
25 Sep. 2011.
“Frequently Asked Questions: Autism Speaks.” Autism Speaks. 2011. Web. 01 Oct 2011.
Garret, Laurie. The Coming Plague: Newly Emerging Diseases in a World Out of Balance.
Penguin Group, 1995. 59-66. Print.
Kugel, Allison. “Jenny McCarthy on Healing Her Son’s Autism and Discovering Her Life’s
Mission.” PR. 09/10/2007. Print.
"Meningococcal Disease Vaccine."Vaccine Information. Immunization Action Coalition, March
2011. Web. 7 Nov 2011.
Midthun, Karen. Food and Drug Administration. Concerns Regarding a Potential Link Between
Vaccines and Autism. 2001. Web.
“Neisseria meningitides.” Photograph. Human Health. Web. 24 Sep 2011.
Rasmussen, Ken. "Nervous System." Anatomy and Physiology Course. Anatomy Course,
Taylorsville, UT. 2008. In Person.
United States Centers for Disease Control. “Vaccines and Preventable Diseases.” 2009. Print.
Wegner, Peter. "Vaccinated N.J. teen's death from bacterial meningitis shocks family." NJ.com.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, 04/02/2011. Web. 1 Dec 2011.