Diseases > Meningitis > Cochlear
Implants
Use
of Vaccines for the Prevention of Meningitis
in Persons with Cochlear Implants
FACT
SHEET
July
30, 2003
(originally published October 2002)
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What You Should Know
- The
CDC and FDA, in partnership with state health
departments, have recently completed an investigation
that found children with cochlear implants
have a higher chance of getting bacterial
meningitis than children without cochlear
implants. Some children who are candidates
for cochlear implants may have factors that
increase their risk of meningitis even before
they get a cochlear implant. However, this
investigation was not designed to determine
the risk of meningitis in children who are
candidates for cochlear implants but don't
have them.
- Because
people with cochlear implants are at increased
risk for meningitis, CDC recommends that
people with cochlear implants follow recommendations
for pneumococcal vaccinations that apply
to members of other groups at increased risk.
Recommendations for the timing and type of
pneumococcal vaccination vary with age and
vaccination history and should be discussed
with a health care provider.
- Recommendations
for people with cochlear implants aged two
years and older include the following:
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Children with cochlear implants aged
2 years and older who have completed
the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevnar®)
series should receive one dose of the
pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (Pneumovax®
23). If they have just received pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine, they should wait at
least two months before receiving pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine.
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Children with cochlear implants between
24 and 59 months of age who have never
received either pneumococcal conjugate
vaccine or pneumococcal polysaccharide
vaccine should receive two doses of pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine two or more months
apart and then receive one dose of pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine at least two months
later.
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Persons aged 5 years and older with cochlear
implants should receive one dose of pneumococcal
polysaccharide vaccine.
Additional
Facts
- Worldwide,
there are over 90 known reports of people
getting meningitis after getting a cochlear
implant. This is out of approximately 60,000
people who have cochlear implants.
- Meningitis
is an infection. The infection is in the
fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal
cord. There are two main types of meningitis,
viral and bacterial. Bacterial meningitis
is the most serious type. It is the type
that had been reported in people with cochlear
implants. Depending on the cause of the meningitis,
the symptoms, treatment, and outcomes differ.
- Bacterial
meningitis can be caused by several different
kinds of bacteria. Four vaccines protect
against most of these bacteria. The vaccines
are:
- 7-valent
pneumococcal conjugate (Prevnar®)
(PCV-7)
- 23-valent
pneumococcal polysaccharide
(Pneumovax® 23) (PPV-23)
- Haemophilus
influenzae type b conjugate (Hib)
- Quadrivalent
A,C,Y,W-135 meningococcal polysaccharide
(Menomune®).
- Meningitis
in people with cochlear implants is most
commonly caused by the bacteria Streptococcus
pneumoniae (pneumococcus). Children
with cochlear implants are more likely to
get pneumococcal meningitis than children
without cochlear implants.
- None of the
children in the investigation had meningococcal
meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis.
There is no evidence that children with cochlear
implants are more likely to get meningococcal
meningitis than children without cochlear
implants.
For
more information
For
information about hearing loss, cochlear implants,
and this investigation:
For
more information about vaccines and vaccinations:
-
Call CDC's Information Contact Center
- English
and Español: 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636)
- TTY:
1-888-232-6348
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