Meningococcal B VIS via CDC Website

Meningococcal B VIS

Why get vaccinated?

Meningococcal B vaccine can help protect against meningococcal disease caused by serogroup B.  A different meningococcal vaccine is available that can help protect against serogroups A, C, W, and Y.

Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) and infections of the blood. Even when it is treated, meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 infected people out of 100. And of those who survive, about 10 to 20 out of every 100 will suffer disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, loss of limbs, nervous system problems, or severe scars from skin grafts.

Anyone can get meningococcal disease but certain people are at increased risk, including:

• Infants younger than one year old
• Adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years old
• People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system
• Microbiologists who routinely work with isolates of N. meningitidis, the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease
• People at risk because of an outbreak in their community

Talk with your health care provider

Tell your vaccine provider if the person getting the vaccine:

• Has had an allergic reaction after a previous dose of meningococcal B vaccine, or has any severe, life-threatening allergies.
• Is pregnant or breastfeeding.

In some cases, your health care provider may decide to postpone meningococcal B vaccination to a future visit.

People with minor illnesses, such as a cold, may be vaccinated. People who are moderately or severely ill should usually wait until they recover before getting meningococcal B vaccine.

Your health care provider can give you more information.

Risks of a vaccine reaction

• Soreness, redness, or swelling where the shot is given, tiredness, fatigue, headache, muscle or joint pain, fever, chills, nausea, or diarrhea can happen after meningococcal B vaccine. Some of these reactions occur in more than half of the people who receive the vaccine.

People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.

As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.