Health article
The types of meningitis, and which ones a vaccine prevents
Meningitis is not one illness. The difference between the types decides whether you are looking at a week of rest or an emergency department, and only some of them are vaccine-preventable.
Meningitis is inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spinal cord. What causes that inflammation is what makes one case a medical emergency and another a miserable week at home.
The three you are most likely to hear about
Bacterial — rare, and the one that kills
Caused most often by Neisseria meningitidis, Streptococcus pneumoniae or Haemophilus influenzae type b. It moves fast and is treated with intravenous antibiotics in hospital. This is the type vaccines are built for.
Viral — the common one
Usually caused by enteroviruses. Symptoms look similar but are generally milder, antibiotics do nothing for it, and most people recover with rest, fluids and pain relief. It is still worth being assessed, because telling it apart from the bacterial kind is not something to do at home.
Fungal — rare, and mostly in people who are immunocompromised
Cryptococcus is the usual cause. It progresses more slowly, which makes it harder to spot, and needs long-course antifungal treatment.
Which ones a vaccine actually prevents
Vaccines exist for the bacterial causes, not the viral ones. In Alberta, infants and children are routinely immunized against Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcus and meningococcal group C through the publicly funded schedule.
Two more are worth asking about specifically. Meningococcal ACWY is required by Saudi Arabia for Hajj and Umrah pilgrims and is recommended for travel to the meningitis belt across sub-Saharan Africa. Meningococcal B is a separate vaccine — it is not covered by the ACWY shot, and it is the strain most often behind university residence outbreaks.
If you are travelling, the destination decides which of these matters. That is the conversation to have at a travel consultation, not at the airport.
Common questions
Does the meningitis shot my child got cover them for travel?
Not necessarily. Alberta's routine childhood schedule covers meningococcal group C. Travel to the African meningitis belt, and entry to Saudi Arabia for Hajj or Umrah, require the ACWY vaccine, which is a different product. Bring the immunization record and we will check it against the destination.
Can I get meningococcal vaccines at a pharmacy?
Yes. We stock and administer meningococcal vaccines as part of travel consultations. Book a consultation rather than walking in for the shot alone, because which one you need depends on where you are going.