May 27, 2005 -- Meningococcal Vaccine Recommended at Age 11

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced May 26 that it is now recommending vaccination of children ages 11 to 12 years, or before adolescents enter high school at about age 15, with the newly licensed meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4). It is also recommended that college freshmen living in dormitories be vaccinated. Meningococcal disease is particularly common in young people and is potentially deadly, with 10 to 12 percent of those who contract it dying and another 15 percent suffering long-term permanent disabilities such as brain damage. The disease is dangerous because it begins with symptoms that are often mistaken for common illnesses such as the flu and then progresses rapidly, with death often occurring within hours. The new vaccine, a single shot, is manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur as Menactra.