\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n \tRelated story \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t13 Symptoms of Meningitis You Need to Know If You\u2019re Parenting Teens\t\t<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p><\/div>\n \t\t<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n \t \n\tHere\u2019s what to know about meningitis and teens, including why they\u2019re so at risk and how to best protect them from developing the devastating disease.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMeningitis refers to an inflammation infection of the membranes that cover the brain and the spinal cord,\u201d says William Schaffner<\/a>, M.D., a professor of infectious diseases at the Vanderbilt University Medical Center. It happens when a disease-causing microorganism somehow gets into the brain and spinal cord, which can happen through the bloodstream or via an ear or sinus infection.<\/p>\n \n\tMany different things can cause meningitis, but most infections fall into two groups: viral or bacterial. Viral meningitis is the most common, and also tends to be milder and often resolves without hospital treatment, Dr. Schaffner says. Bacterial meningitis, on the other hand, is often severe and even life-threatening. And teens are one of the age groups that\u2019s most at risk for the disease \u2014\u00a0though their vulnerability is often overlooked by parents and healthcare providers alike, according to research in Infectious Diseases and Therapy<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n \n\tWhile anyone can get meningitis, age, certain medical conditions or medications, and exposure all increase risk.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThere are three age groups that are particularly vulnerable to bacterial meningitis: babies under 1 year old, teenagers, and young adults ages 16 to 23, and older adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a>. \u201cIf you look at the entire age spectrum, [the risk of bacterial meningitis is highest in [infants]. Then the risk goes very low, then increases in teen years and young adult years, then goes very low again, and then it picks up again when you\u2019re in the 70s and 80s,\u201d Dr. Schaffner says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tAdditionally, American Indian or Alaska Native and Black people are more likely to develop meningitis than other races, a 2025 study in the journal The Lancet Regional Health<\/em><\/a> found. It\u2019s possible that these groups might be more likely to have certain health conditions that could make them more vulnerable to meningitis, according to the Journal of Adolescent Health<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n \n\tAll age groups can contract viral meningitis, which is much more common and less dangerous than bacterial meningitis. But Dr. Schaffner says that teens may be more likely to develop this type, although children under age 5 and people with weakened immune systems are most at risk, per the CDC<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tExperts still don\u2019t fully understand why teenagers and young adults may be at increased risk of bacterial meningitis, also called meningococcal meningitis, Dr. Schaffner says. But lifestyle factors are likely at least partially to blame. Put simply, teens tend to spend a lot of time together in close quarters.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThe long answer: The bacteria that causes meningococcal meningitis <\/em>is transmitted through respiratory droplets and close contact. \u201cTeenagers are at heightened risk for a few reasons that are just part of being a teenager. They congregate in close, crowded settings: classrooms, concerts, locker rooms, sports teams. They share drinks, water bottles, food, lip balm, and vapes,\u201d says Wukovits. \u201cThe social nature of teen life is also what creates an opportunity for this bacteria to spread.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tNew evidence in Molecular Microbiology<\/em><\/a> also indicates that teens\u2019 bodies may be primed to produce more of a short-chain fatty acid that encourages meningococcal bacteria to grow. Teens\u2019 microbiomes tend to contain higher levels of a certain type of bacteria that produce the fatty acid, called propionic acid.<\/p>\n \n\tThat said, not everyone who\u2019s exposed to meningococcal bacteria develop meningitis. \u201cWhat happens is that [the bacteria] lodge in what\u2019s called the nasopharynx \u2014 in the upper throat, way back there behind the nose. They can live there quietly, not causing any illness. But sometimes they escape that location, invade the tissue, and get into the central nervous system space [where they can] cause meningitis,\u201d Dr. Schaffner says. But experts don\u2019t know why some people develop meningitis and so many others don\u2019t, he says.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tSince meningitis can be fatal, experts urge parents and young adults to focus on prevention and awareness. Here\u2019s what to know.<\/p>\n \n\tThe best way to prevent meningitis is to stay up to date with vaccines. Between 1998 and 2007, cases of bacterial meningitis dropped by about 31%, largely due to the development of vaccines that protected against certain strains of meningitis-causing bacteria, The Lancet Regional Health<\/em> reports.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tCases have increased again since 2021, but people ages 30 to 60 are being disproportionately affected<\/a> rather than teens. And many of the adults who contracted the disease weren\u2019t up to date<\/a> with the meningitis vaccinations, further underscoring the importance of immunizations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tInfants are given the pneumococcal vaccine<\/a>, which protects against a certain strain of meningitis-causing bacteria, says Sharon Nachman<\/a>, M.D., chief of pediatric infectious diseases at Stony Brook Children\u2019s Hospital. But there are also meningitis vaccines recommended for preteens and teens that protect against the types of bacteria most likely to affect them.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tRight now, the CDC<\/a> recommends that everyone get the MenACWY vaccine<\/a> at 11 or 12 years old, with a booster at 16 years old, per the CDC<\/a>. This protects against four \u201cserogroups\u201d or types of bacteria, including ones more likely to affect teens: A, C, W, and Y.<\/p>\n \n\tBut there is an additional vaccine<\/a> that protects against another serogroup, B. Right now, the CDC<\/a> only recommends certain high-risk groups get the MenB or MenABCWY vaccine. But you can talk to your child\u2019s doctor to see if it\u2019s a good option for them \u2014 something that Wukovits\u00a0strongly recommends.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cMy daughter Kimberly had been vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. But the vaccine she received only protected against serogroups A, C, W, and Y, not serogroup B (e.g., Meningitis B). I was under the false impression that she was fully protected when, in fact, she was not,\u201d she says. When Kimberly died, the MenB vaccine wasn\u2019t available. But, Wukovits says, \u201cIt is available now.\u201d She says all parents should ask their healthcare provider if their child is vaccinated with both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines.\u00a0<\/p>\n \n\tThese vaccines are well-established and widely used, and are directly responsible for the rarity of bacterial meningitis in the U.S., Dr. Schaffner says. But, he adds, \u201cVaccines don\u2019t prevent disease. Vaccinations<\/em> prevent disease.\u201d In other words: You have to remain up to date with your vaccines to enjoy the protection.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"Woman](\"https:\/\/www.sheknows.com\/wp-content\/themes\/vip\/pmc-sheknows-2020\/assets\/public\/lazyload-fallback.gif\")
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\n<\/section>\n<\/p>\n\n\t\tWhat Is Meningitis?\u00a0\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhat Causes Meningitis?\u00a0\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWho Is Most At Risk For Meningitis?\u00a0\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tWhat Makes Teens So Vulnerable?\u00a0\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tHow to Protect Teens from Meningitis\t<\/h2>\n
\n\t\tGet Vaccinated.\u00a0\t<\/h3>\n
\n\t\tLearn the Key Symptoms\u00a0\t<\/h3>\n