Meningitis is a serious and sometimes life-threatening disease. MayoClinic.com notes that viral, bacterial and fungal infections can all cause meningitis. Since the seriousness of the impact of meningitis varies from person to person, vaccines have been developed to prevent catching the disease. Understanding the active ingredients of the meningitis vaccine can help individuals determine whether the vaccine is appropriate for them to pursue as a preventative measure.
Purified Bacterial Capsular Polysaccharide A
According to the CDC, each of the meningitis vaccines contains 50 mg of purified bacterial capsular polysaccharide A. The Immunisation Advisory Centre New Zealand notes that because the materials are purified, the meningitis vaccine is free of other vaccine components such as excipients and adjuvants, which the Centre notes are sometimes added to improve immune response in vaccine recipients.
Purified Bacterial Capsular Polysaccharide C
Purified bacterial capsular polysaccharide C is present in the meningitis vaccine in a 50 mg dose. According to the CDC, this particular element of the vaccine is more effective in patients who are older than 18 to 24 months. Some versions of the meningitis vaccine only target strains caused by the C type bacteria. For these versions of the meningitis vaccine, only one dose of the vaccine is needed in patients over 12 months of age, but patients over the age of 65 should avoid taking the vaccine at all.
Purified Bacterial Capsular Polysaccharide Y
Purified bacterial capsular polysaccharide Y is present as an active ingredient of the meningitis vaccine in 50 mg components. It is safe as rates by the CDC for children older than two years of age.
Purified Bacterial Capsular Polysaccharide W-135
Fifty 50 mg of purified bacterial capsular polysaccharide W-135 are present in each meningitis vaccine. Antibodies that result from the active ingredients in the meningitis vaccine can still be found in trace amounts in patients up to 10 years after the treatment, notes the CDC. Side effects are minimal and usually limited to redness and tenderness around the site where the vaccine was injected.
