Protect Your Children! Sign the Petition, and Ask CDC to Recommend Infant Meningococcal (Meningitis) Vaccines.

More and more infants are getting really sick and dying from getting meningococcal disease (meningitis). We really need to make sure that everyone, young and old, is vaccinated against this disease, especially young infants. Below are some facts about meningitis:

- Aside from injuries and neonatal complications, meningococcal disease is among the leading causes of preventable infant death in the U.S. Approximately 50-60% of these cases are vaccine preventable

- Recent CDC estimates reveal that meningococcal disease incidence is three to seven times higher in infants under one year old than in any other age group, and the highest risk for meningococcal disease is during the first seven months of life

- Approximately 1 in 16 infants who contract meningococcal disease will die from it

- There are more deaths from meningococcal disease each year than there are from pertussis, measles, mumps, rubella and rotavirus disease – all infections for which infants currently receive vaccinations

For more information about Meningitis and about what symptoms to look for, please check here,  http://www.meningitis-angels.org/facts-about-meningitis.html.

Did you know that ALL middle school, high school, and those going to attend college should be vaccinated for Meningococcal Disease? I didn't know this either, but I will be making a note of it for when our children begin middle school to have their vaccination records checked to see if they are up to date or if they need new ones. You can check out the Meningitis Angels website for more information.

Check out the Meningitis Angels PSA below:





Please sign the Protect Infants Now (PIN) petition and encourage your friends and family to sign it as well. You can find a link to the petition here: https://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/protectinfantsnow

Disclosure: I participated in a campaign on behalf of Mom Central and Meningitis Angels. This campaign was made possible in part through support provided by Novartis Vaccines. A small donation to a charity of my choice was made in my name from Mom Central as a thank-you for participating. All opinions in this posting are 100% my own.