The Covid-19 pandemic has resulted in a significant number of people missing their vaccinations, which could cause cases of Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) to rise as large gatherings and social activities increase.
This was according to Dr Nasiha Soofie, medical head at Sanofi Pasteur Vaccines, who held a webinar in collaboration with Sunday Times on 21 April to raise awareness around IMD.
“IMD is invasive in that it penetrates areas that are normally sterile sites in our bodies. For example, the meninges of the brain is one of the most common sites where IMD is causing meningitis,” said Lee Baker, president of the South African Society of Travel Medicine (SASTM), during the webinar.
This bacterial infection can leave an individual permanently disabled, if not dead, within hours of exposure to the bacteria, said Soofie.
In the lead up to World Meningitis Day, which took place on 24 April, experts aimed to raise awareness around strategies to eliminate meningitis. As part of this initiative, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has drafted a global road map to defeating meningitis by 2030, which will be finalised and formatted in early May, according to an announcement on the WHO website.
The theme of World Meningitis Day 2021 was to “Take Action” to defeat meningitis.
World Meningitis Day was on 24 April. This year’s theme was “Take Action” to #DefeatMeningitis. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has approved a global road map to defeat meningitis by 2030. GRAPHIC: Inge du Plessis
The importance of vaccinations in eliminating meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord, according to the Confederation of Meningitis Organisation (CoMO). The disease is not easily diagnosed, as clinical symptoms are often ambiguous, and treatment does not guarantee recovery, according to Soofie.
High-risk groups, as indicated by Dr Nasiha Soofie and Lee Baker, and the signs and symptoms of bacterial meningitis, as stated by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisation (CoMO). GRAPHIC: Inge du Plessis
“The only option we have as parents to secure our children and ourselves, and as healthcare professionals to secure our patients, is prevention…and that is a vaccination,” said Soofie.
Soofie stated that individuals between nine months and two years of age require two doses of the vaccine at least three months apart, while individuals over two years of age only require a single dose. High-risk groups need two doses of the vaccine at least three months apart, and a booster shot every five years.
“The meningococcal conjugate vaccine is indicated from nine months of age until 55 years of age,” said Soofie.
Anybody can get meningitis. However, certain groups such as babies and people with immunodeficiencies are at higher risk, according to Baker.
“The infection spreads in crowds,” said Baker. “Groups like first-year university students or military who are going to stay in hostels, are also at risk of contracting it, but anybody can contract it,” she added.
Stellenbosch University (SU) students are advised to receive the meningitis vaccination, among others, according to Dr Lynne Julie, a medical officer with SU Campus Health Services.
“While not compulsory, Campus Health Services does recommend that all students be vaccinated against Meningitis, Chickenpox, Measles, Mumps and Rubella (MMR). All staff and students should also have the flu vaccine annually,” said Julie in email correspondence with MatieMedia.
Stellenbosch University (SU) Campus Health Services can be contacted if a student or staff member wants to be vaccinated. The webinar on Invasive Meningococcal Disease, which was held on 21 April, discussed myths about vaccinations. GRAPHIC: Inge du Plessis