Protect Infants Now | Vaccinate & Educate to Stop Meningitis

Screen shot 2012-01-26 at 8.18.42 PMAs parents, we try to do everything in our power to keep our children safe and healthy; however, we may not always be aware of how to protect them from some of the most dangerous diseases.

Meningococcal disease, also called meningitis, is a sudden and very aggressive illness that can kill a previously healthy child within 24-48 hours of the first symptoms, which typically start out as non-specific and mimic symptoms of the flu. Infants younger than one year old are at a disproportionately higher risk for contracting meningococcal meningitis due to their less sophisticated immune systems. While vaccines exist to protect against this deadly disease, they are not currently universally recommended for infants.

Meningitis Angels, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about meningitis and other vaccine-preventable diseases, is working to fight against meningococcal disease. One step in this fight is "Protect Infants Now" (PIN), a campaign aimed at encouraging the government to recommend the current meningococcal meningitis vaccines be given to infants. Through the online PIN petition, Meningitis Angels wants to encourage the CDC to include meningitis vaccines in the recommended vaccination schedule for infants.

 

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 MomCentral as a thank-you for participating. All opinions in this posting are 100% my own.

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