Why we must preserve the meningococcal vaccination schedule

As a retired nurse with decades of experience on the front lines of health care, I have witnessed firsthand the incredible impact that vaccinations have on children’s health and well-being. Throughout my career, I cared for countless young patients, and the difference vaccinations made was undeniable.

Vaccinations are not merely a preventive measure; they are a fundamental pillar of public health that all children should have access to, safeguarding our children against a host of potentially life-threatening diseases including meningococcal disease.

Meningococcal disease can lead to serious complications. It is a bacterial infection that can result in sepsis and in the worst cases, death. Luckily, the vaccination schedule for children that was put in place in the early 2000s has kept the vast majority of our children protected against this disease.

The current vaccination schedule is set up to protect children when they’re most vulnerable. The first dose is scheduled for ages 11-12, with a second dose set for age 16. The early dose is crucial to protecting adolescents when they’re most susceptible to contracting the disease given that meningococcal disease is transmitted through close contact like sharing drinks and it is around this age that children begin to participate in social activities that would expose them to this disease.

Despite the success of the current vaccination schedule, the Advisory Council on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is considering a drastic change. The new proposed schedule change would eliminate the first dose entirely, leaving adolescents completely vulnerable to the disease until age 16.

Not only would young adolescents be unprotected for a longer period of time, but by age 16, it is more difficult to get teenagers to engage with their health care providers. Vaccination coverage rates change considerably between these age groups, with 89% of 11-12 year olds being vaccinated while only 61% of older adolescents are. This is presumably due to the fact that they are less likely to attend their routine medical visits.

A change in vaccination schedules for children can also cause confusion amongst parents and families, and in rural areas like the ones I’ve worked in, a trip to the doctor is not an easy task. Parents should know that when they take their children to doctor’s appointments, they’ll be receiving all the vaccinations they need for their children to be safe and healthy. This unprompted change to the meningococcal vaccine schedule would also create more distrust and skepticism in communities that already feel hesitancy toward their health care providers.

The combination of a pandemic, new vaccines, and a rise in misinformation has led so many to doubt the need for on-schedule vaccinations. Now, more than ever, we need proper guidance for families to be able to protect their children. That is why it is vital to maintain the current meningococcal vaccination schedule for children.

Delaying the first dose of this vaccine will only lead to more adolescents slipping through the cracks and missing the vaccine altogether, leaving them vulnerable to this dangerous and oftentimes deadly disease. It is critical that the CDC and the ACIP recognize the harm that this change could cause and avoid altering the current vaccination schedule to continue protecting our children.

Sharon Spinella of Wethersfield is a retired nurse who spent many years working with diverse populations in urban hospitals.