FORT MYERS, Fla., June 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- On June 24, the Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet to discuss and vote on expanding recommendations for serogroup B meningococcal disease vaccination to all adolescents.
The National Meningitis Association hopes that serogroup B meningococcal disease vaccines will be recommended for all adolescents.
Lynn Bozof, President and Founder of the National Meningitis Association is available for media interviews leading up to the ACIP meeting on June 24.
NMA's M.O.M.s (Moms on Meningitis) and T.E.A.M. members (Together Educating About Meningitis) across the country who have experienced the devastation of meningococcal disease, including many who have been affected by serogroup B, are also available for interviews.
Meningococcal disease is a debilitating and devastating illness. Of those who get it, 10 to 15 percent die. Among those who survive, approximately one in five live with permanent and severe disabilities, such as brain damage, hearing loss, loss of kidney function or limb amputations.
Since 2005, the CDC has recommended vaccination to protect against strains A, C, W and Y, at age 11-12 with a booster dose at age 16. However many parents do not realize that their child is not protected against serogroup B, which is not included in the recommended vaccine. Serogroup B is currently the most common cause of meningococcal disease in our nation's adolescents and young adults. Overall, it accounts for one third of U.S. meningococcal disease cases.
Serogroup B caused recent meningitis outbreaks on college campuses at the University of Oregon, Providence College, Princeton University and the University of California, Santa Barbara. In 2015 alone, cases also occurred at Yale University, University of Missouri and University of California, Davis.
The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved two vaccines to protect against serogroup B disease. If ACIP were to routinely recommend serogroup B vaccination for adolescents who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease, it would be a significant step forward in protecting them from this terrible disease.
INTERVIEWS ARE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.
Please contact Elise Levesque, 212-886-2285 or elevesque@alembicunlimited.com or Lynn Bozof, (678) 779-3370 or lynn.nma@gmail.com.
ABOUT NMA: NMA works to protect families from the potentially devastating effects of meningococcal disease by educating the public, medical professionals and others about the disease and its prevention. The NMA network also provides critical emotional support for families who have been affected by meningococcal disease. Visit NMA at www.nmaus.org, watch NMA's PSA "The Right Thing to Do," and find us on Facebook or Twitter.
To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/media-alert-national-meningitis-association-supports-broad-serogroup-b-vaccine-recommendations-in-advance-of-june-24th-acip-meeting-300096260.html
SOURCE National Meningitis Association
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