CANARY ISLANDS MENINGITIS B VACCINES | The Ministry of Health carries out preventive vaccination against meningitis B.

The Ministry of Health carries out preventive vaccination against meningitis B.LP/DLP

The General Directorate of Public Health of the Canary Health Service, attached to the Ministry of Health of the Government of the Canary Islands, reported yesterday that 85% of the total population called in was vaccinated last weekend. preventive vaccination against meningitis B in Gran Tarajal, on the island of Fuerteventura.

This is a preventive action that was launched after two cases of this disease were detected in two students from the Cristóbal García Blerzi Preschool and Primary School. The vaccination campaign, targeting students as well as teaching and non-teaching staff of the center, was carried out on June 8 and 9 at the pediatric consultation of the Gran Tarajal Medical Center.

“The campaign was successful, the figure was 85% higher than expected, so we are very pleased,” explains Alvaro Torres, head of the epidemiological surveillance service of the General Directorate of Public Health. However, the head of the department warns that “We still cannot consider that the outbreak is under control” because “we’ll have to watch longer.”

“We are very careful and always double the incubation period when we say the outbreak is over,” Torres continues. “But thanks to the maneuver we took, we are very confident that we will avoid a third case,” he adds.

At the same time, the specialist points out that in the coming days “hardly those 100 people who did not come for vaccination last weekend will be called.” Also remember that this vaccine requires two doses, so the same population will be called back for a second shot within a month. “Then, “We will evaluate the results.”– he concludes.

Likewise, Torres reminds us that “one of the characteristics of meningitis is that it circulates among healthy carriers who are typically unaware that they have meningococcus, so they can spread it through respiratory droplets or respiratory infections.” . small sneezes, to the closest people. “So the disease spreads until suddenly it finds a person who is more susceptible than others and develops the disease,” he explains, adding that “this is a serious disease that does not go unnoticed.”

Outbreak with two cases

The General Directorate of Public Health activated the protocol established for these situations with the detection of two cases of meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in two students of CEIP Cristóbal García Blairzi. The evolution of both people was favorable.

Molecular analysis of the isolates showed that they were identical, so an outbreak protocol was activated. This protocol establishes that, as a preventive measure, to avoid a third or subsequent case, it is necessary to carry out an intervention consisting of vaccination with a specific anti-meningococcal type B vaccine, an action carried out over the past weekend.

Vaccine

The Canary Islands vaccination schedule includes the meningococcal B vaccine and, even if a person has been previously vaccinated, in the event of an outbreak, a booster vaccination is recommended if more than a year has passed since the last vaccination. If the dose has not been received, two doses will have to be administered, leaving a time interval of at least one month between them.