The No-Fear Meningitis Guide
Meningitis Vaccine Schedule
By Sandra Gordon
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Here's a handy timeline to remind you when your child should be immunized against the bacteria that typically cause meningitis.
|
Vaccine |
When your child should get it |
|
Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) |
2, 4 and 6 months of age, and a booster dose between 12 and 15 months of age |
|
Pneumococcal (PCV) |
2, 4 and 6 months of age, and a booster dose between 12 and 15 months of age; children with underlying medical conditions should receive another form of the vaccine (PPV) between 2 to 6 years of age. |
|
Meningococcal (MCV4) |
At 11 to 12, or 13 to 18 years of age, if your child didn’t get vaccinated at age 11. The meningococcal vaccine is also recommended for children ages 2 to 10 years old who are high risk for the disease: those with a compromised immune system, or don’t have a spleen or have the ability to make an immunological component called complement. A child is also considered high risk if you (the parent) work in a lab with meningococcus, or if you’re traveling to an area of the world where the bacteria is more common, such as parts of Africa. |
