Lifelong consequences of subjective treatment of meningococcal disease in adolescents

(Dan Tri) - Teenagers are at high risk of meningococcal infection, and like to go to crowded places and hang out with friends. That is why teenagers are susceptible to meningococcal disease - a disease that can kill within 24 hours and leave them with lifelong consequences.

Teenagers are young, healthy, and have good resistance, so it is very difficult to get meningococcal disease. That is the thinking of many teenagers like Quoc Khang (18 years old, HCMC). The student shared: "I usually go to the gym, eat healthily, and rarely go to places with pathogens. I think that is enough to protect myself."

Similar to Khang, Ms. Thanh Hien ( Can Tho ) said that her two children, aged 15 and 18, have received all the basic vaccinations in the expanded immunization program. "That's enough vaccination, and meningococcal disease is rare, so I think the possibility of my children getting the disease is not high," Ms. Hien said.

Even healthy adolescents are at high risk of contracting meningococcal disease (Illustration: Shutterstock).

According to Dr. Nguyen Van Quang, Medical Manager of Region 4 - North, VNVC Vaccination System, the above views are not entirely correct. Meningococcal vaccine is only available in service vaccination, but many people mistakenly think that it is included in expanded vaccination, so they do not fully vaccinate their children.

Every year, globally, there are more than 1.2 million infections and about 135,000 deaths from this disease. In Vietnam, according to statistics from the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology, meningococcal disease is one of the 10 diseases with the highest mortality rate.

Dr. Quang said that meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through the respiratory tract when inhaling droplets containing the virus from the nose and throat of sick people and asymptomatic carriers or indirectly through objects. According to research, dormitories and barracks have a rate of healthy people carrying meningococcal bacteria 2-3 times higher.

Teenagers often attend crowded festivals, so they are at high risk of contracting meningococcal disease (Illustration: Shutterstock).

Teenagers often attend crowded events such as festivals, concerts, bars, cafes, clubs, etc., so they are at high risk of exposure to pathogens. They also often live in communal environments such as dormitories, boarding houses, barracks, and training camps. Close contact, living together, eating, using shared items, kissing, and having sex also create opportunities for bacteria to spread.

In addition, unhealthy habits of teenagers such as smoking, drinking alcohol, and staying up late also reduce the body's resistance, creating opportunities for bacteria to invade.

Smoking habits of adolescents increase the risk of meningococcal disease (Illustration: Shutterstock).

Since the beginning of the year, hospitals in Vietnam have continuously recorded severe cases of meningococcal disease, occurring in children, adolescents and adults. The latest death was recorded in a 3-year-old boy in Ba Ria - Vung Tau . Previously, a 7-year-old patient in Bac Kan fell into a coma and had circulatory arrest due to meningococcal disease just hours after being admitted to the hospital. The Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City recorded cases of meningococcal disease in the southern provinces of Ho Chi Minh City, Dong Nai, Ba Ria - Vung Tau, Lam Dong, etc., warning of the spread of the disease in the community.

Meningococcal disease can cause death within 24 hours and leave many serious sequelae such as meningitis, sepsis, pneumonia, arthritis, or even amputation, deafness, blindness, and mental retardation. In early February this year, a 7-year-old boy in Pac Nam district ( Bac Kan ) with meningococcal disease fell into a coma and stopped circulating just a few hours after being hospitalized.

The disease seriously affects physical health, quality of life, academic performance and job choices.

Meningococcal disease is also known as "24-hour death disease", threatening the health of adolescents (Illustration: Shutterstock).

Doctor Quang said that preventing meningococcal disease with vaccines is an effective and safe measure, protecting adolescents from "24-hour death" and dangerous complications.

Currently, Vietnam has vaccines to prevent common meningococcal serotypes, including: vaccines against serotypes A, C, Y, W-135 from the US, serotype B from Italy, and serotype B, C from Cuba. These vaccines are given to children and adults from 2 months to 55 years old. Each person needs to be fully vaccinated against the 5 serotypes that cause meningococcal disease: A, B, C, Y, W-135.

Vaccination is the best way to protect the health of teenagers (Photo: Vecteezy).

A US study on mortality rates by meningococcal serogroup reported from 2017 to 2021 found that group W had the highest mortality rate, accounting for 21.5%, followed by group C (14.6%), group Y (9.8%) and B (9.6%).

Since its introduction, the quadrivalent conjugate vaccine A, C, Y, W-135 has reduced the number of cases of disease in adolescents caused by the major serogroups C, Y, and W by up to 90%.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/suc-khoe/di-chung-suot-doi-khi-chu-quan-voi-benh-do-nao-mo-cau-o-thanh-thieu-nien-20250610194131096.htm