Gay Men to Get Vaccinated Against Meningitis-Amid the outbreak, health authorities urged
Health officials in the counties of Los Angeles and Orange recommended that all gay and bisexual men be vaccinated against meningitis, amid an outbreak of the potentially fatal disease, which disproportionately affects men who have sex with mens.
Local health departments had previously recommended vaccination only for people considered high risk, such as men who are HIV positive. "We recognize that this extends our previous recommendations, but after careful consultation with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and health authorities in our jurisdictions, we believe that it needs to expand vaccination to suppress this outbreak," he said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, interim health officer LA County, a statement that was released Tuesday.
LA County there have been 13 cases of meningitis this year, not counting recorded in Long Beach and Pasadena, which have their own health departments. Seven cases of LA were detected in men who have sex with men.
The county health department reported only 12 diagnoses of Meningococcal disease throughout 2015, and only one of them was identified as a gay or bisexual man.
Today, authorities are unsure of why gay men are disproportionately targeted by this outbreak. Meningitis is caused by the bacterium Neisseria Meningitis , which is transmitted through saliva by close contact, such as kissing, coughing or sharing drinks. Your symptoms begin quickly and include nausea, vomiting andm confusion. If not treated promptly, the infection can cause brain damage, seizures or even death within a few hours.
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