Question and Answers
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What is
meningitis and what are its signs and symptoms?
Meningitis is an infection in the fluid that is around the brain and
spinal cord. There are two types of meningitis–viral and bacterial.
Bacterial is the more serious of the two and is the type that has been
reported in people with cochlear implants. Signs and symptoms of
meningitis are high fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea or vomiting,
discomfort looking into bright lights, and sleepiness or confusion. A
young child or infant with meningitis might be sleepy, cranky, or eat
less.
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What
should be done if someone has signs or symptoms of meningitis?
Any person who is showing signs or symptoms of meningitis should seek
immediate medical care by contacting their doctor or going to a clinic
or emergency room. If that person has a cochlear implant, the doctor or
other health care provider should be told. The doctor can look at and
examine the person and do others tests as needed. For more information,
visit
http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/meningococcal_g.htm.
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Why
wasn’t the risk of meningitis for children with an implant compared with
the risk for children with severe to profound hearing loss but with no
implant?
Children with cochlear implants were not compared with children
without implants because the information that would have allowed such a
comparison was not available during this study. However, scientists in
Denmark, sponsored by CDC, do have access to the needed data and are now
working on a joint project that could make such a comparison possible.
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Can vaccinations protect children with cochlear implants from getting
meningitis?
Some vaccines are very good at preventing meningitis. However, as good as
they are, vaccines can’t prevent all types of meningitis. Current
vaccines protect against the most common strains of bacteria causing
meningitis, but they do not protect against all strains.
Use of
Pneumococcal Vaccinations for People With Cochlear Implants
Children younger than 2 years of age who have cochlear implants should get
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar®) according to the routine
pneumococcal conjugate vaccination schedule for this age group.
Children
and adolescents with cochlear implants should receive vaccines according
to the recommended schedule. For more information, please visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/recs/child-schedule.htm#Printable.
Recommendations for people who have
cochlear implants and who are 2 years of age or older:
-
Children who have cochlear implants, who
are 2 years of age or older, and who have completed the pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine (Prevnar®) series should have one dose of the
pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax® 23). If they have just
gotten the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, they should wait at least 2
months following the last dose before getting the pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine.
-
Children who have cochlear implants, who
are 24 through 59 months of age, and who have never had either the
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine or the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine
should get a total of two doses of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 2
or more months apart and then, at least 2 months later, should get one
dose of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine.
-
People who have cochlear implants and who
are 5 years of age or older should get one dose of pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine. For more information, please visit
http://www.cdc.gov/nip/issues/cochlear/cochlear-gen.htm.
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What can
parents of children with cochlear implants do to reduce their child’s risk
of getting meningitis?
First of all, parents need to watch their child for any of the possible
signs and symptoms of meningitis, and to get prompt medical attention if
the child develops these symptoms. Second, parents should also seek
prompt medical attention if they think their child might have an ear
infection or any other bacterial infection. Third, parents should be
sure that all of the child’s immunizations are up to date. In addition,
like all children, children with cochlear implants should not be near
tobacco smoke because it has been shown to increase the risk for
bacterial infections.
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Can someone
who has lost his or her hearing as a result of having meningitis still get
meningitis again?
Yes, anyone who has had bacterial meningitis can get it again. This is
true whether or not the first meningitis caused a loss of hearing. A
person who gets some kinds of bacterial meningitis might be more
likely to get it again.
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Where
can parents find out more about this study and about their child’s health
and risks?
Parents who have additional questions about the study can call CDC’s
Immunization Hotline.
Telephone English: 1-800-232-4636 Spanish:
888-246-2857
Hours of Operation: Monday – Friday 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. EST
|
For questions that apply specifically to a child’s health,
parents should contact their child’s primary health care provider. |
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Home
| About the 2002 Study |
About the 2004 Study |
Recommendations |
Questions and Answers | Resources (pdf)
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Date:
November 01, 2007
Content source: National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental
Disabilities
