Meningitis risk

Altho, with many parents choosing not to immunise their babies against Menigitis with the MMR vaccine, the risk is much higher than it used to be. Don't people realise that Meningitis is lethal and that the autism study was complete *******s?! I would rather have a child with autism than a dead one.

The risk is still low, but it is increasing...don't be complacent in other words! However, if you have had the jab, i think you are ok?

The MMR vaccine provides extra defense against measles, mumps and rubella (German measles), not against meningitis. Currently, we only have a vaccine against meningitis C whilst the most common (and lethal) form is meningitis B. However, you are right that people not taking vaccines is a large problem - if you immunise a certain percentage of people you can wipe out diseases (such as was done with smallpox). If the percentage of protected people falls below a certain level, pandemics become far more likely. Measles particularly can be deadly or very damaging in certain cases (it made my dad's eyesight worse for instance). It's all about weighing up the risks of the vaccination against the benefits. However, children with autism face many challenges is a debilatating condition. It may well be worth giving parents the option of seperate vaccines for their children if they are worried of the risk of autism developing, although they may have to foot some of the extra cost.

I haven't heard that before. If it's true that's awful, I always thought work was ongoing on a vaccine, and that it was a priority to find one.

there is a highly effective vaccine against meningtis B, but the americans have basically banned anyone in the world from having it under threat of sanctions.
To**ers

I do appologise. I never knew Cuba discovered a safe vaccine for meningitis B! Well, you learn something new every day! And that is a scandal and a half. Hopefully the vaccine will be used in Europe sooner rather than later, though judging from the date of this article, I fear that may be wishful thinking.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/3284995.stm

Does it scare anyone else that kissing 2 people in a fortnight [is it?] quadruples your risk of getting it or something. it was on the news...

has that ever been actually proven?

I don't know about that figure- statistics don't always prove a lot anyway.

Either way, of course kissing would increase the risk of contracting illnesses, as you're sharing saliva with another person, and whatever they have, you're most likely going to get.

But that's pretty obvious anyway. As long as you keep up to date with your injections, then you shouldn't have very much to worry about. The other obvious solution would be to give up kissing, but maybe that's just an excuse used by people like me. :P

what injections?
meningits C (the one the vaccine is for) was only ever responsible for about 15% of cases, and it was always the most mild form as well.