This article was originally published by FOX 2 Now: St. Louis. Read the full article here.
With teenagers, there are certain things that come in non-negotiable pairs: a new driver’s license and extra insurance, a cellphone and social media.
But parents may not be aware of one particularly crucial pair – two separate vaccines to help protect against the most common groups of meningococcal disease: one vaccine that helps protect against groups A, C, W and Y, and a separate vaccine that helps protect against group B.
The group B disease accounts for nearly 70 percent of all US meningococcal cases in 16- to 23-year-old adolescents and young adults. It also has been the cause of all outbreaks of meningococcal disease at US colleges—including Mizzou—between 2011 and 2018.
Dr. Tamera Coyne-Beasley, professor of pediatrics and internal medicine at the University of Alabama, joins Fox 2 News live via satellite to discuss the risks and complications of meningococcal disease, as well as early symptoms and the best protection against it.