Vaccination Information Pack MenACWY Vaccination Information Pack

What is meningococcal disease? Infectious bacteria that can cause meningitis (infection of brain lining) and septicaemia (infection of the blood) – both can kill Spreads through close persistent contact – e.g. Living in the same house, intimate kissing, sneezing, coughing Around 1 in 10 of the general population and up to 1 in 4 older teenagers carry the bacteria Meningococcal disease is most common in young children under five, with a second peak in cases during adolescence

How can I protect myself? Get vaccinated! Vaccination is effective – cases of group C meningococcal infection dropped 98% since 1999 thanks to the MenC vaccination programme Cases of group W meningococcal infection (MenW) in England and Wales, have increased year on year with 27 cases in 2010 to 215 in 2015 MenW is an aggressive strain with a higher than normal death rate of 1 in 10 cases MenACWY vaccination was introduced in August 2015 to protect young people against this new outbreak and stop the spread of the disease

What is the MenACWY vaccine? Protects against four strains of meningococcal disease – A, C, W and Y Offered to all young people aged 13-20, and university freshers under 25 Available free of charge in school or from your GP depending on your age More information on the programme including how and where to get the vaccine from MenACWY.co.uk

Meningitis and Septicaemia The MenACWY vaccine does not protect against all causes of meningitis and septicaemia It is very important to know the signs and symptoms You can become ill quickly and it can be fatal If you are worried about yourself or someone else, seek help immediately

For More Information MenACWY.co.uk