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Teach your children not to
share food or drinks.
Don't use anyone else's lip gloss or lipstick.
Don't drink from another person's water bottle.
There
are many different strains of meningococcal bacteria, which
cause the same disease. In the USA, Group B is responsible
for the majority of cases.
In Canada, there are three predominant groups (all causing
the same disease).
In
Australia, Group B is dominant. There is no vaccination
yet available for Group B, although there is now one for
Group C.
It's never too late to be vaccinated.
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Prevention
There
are vaccines available (see below), but they don't protect
against all strains (serogroups) of meningococcus. So it's
important to take other precautions.
Parents,
teachers and carers can help prevent the spread of meningococcal
disease by keeping a watchful eye – in the home, schoolyard
and at sports functions and school camps – to check that
good hygiene practice is being followed.
As
meningococcal bacteria are passed on via saliva, it's important
to warn children against certain practices.
Precautions
to take:
DON’T SHARE:
– food, dips, icecreams
– drinks, bottles, straws
– lipstick or lip gloss
– toothbrushes
– cigarettes
– mouth guards
– musical instruments with mouth pieces
Also:
– don’t suck the end of a shared pen or pencil
– don’t suck baby’s dummy before putting it
in baby's mouth
– watch out for toddlers sucking and sharing toys
Vaccination
The predominant strains of meningococcal bacteria differ from
country to country, and even from region to region. Although
there are not vaccines available for all strains of the disease,
there is a vaccine for C-strain. Having this vaccine means
you will at least be partially protected against meningococcal
disease.
Travel
vaccine
There is a travel vaccine which gives short term protection
against some of the strains more common in other countries.
Check with your doctor.
Warning
Remember,
while vaccination will give you long term protection against
the deadly C-strain, it won't protect you from catching another
strain with the same symptoms, which can also cause death.
So it's still important to be vigilant, and to take other
precautions.
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