 consistent trend since 2008 of Minnesota’s point estimate being lower than the national point estimate, which gives credence to the position that our true rate probably is somewhat lower than the national true rate,” Ehresmann said.
“One reason could be that some states require meningococcal vaccination for school entry at, (for example), seventh grade. Those states are likely to have higher rates and pull up the national average relative to states that don’t.”
Currently, the meningitis vaccine is recommended for adolescents, preferably at age 11 or 12, with a booster dose at 16. In 2003, a Minnesota law required colleges to provide information on the meningococcal vaccine, but the state hasn’t required vaccination itself.
(Wisconsin does not require the meningococcal vaccine, but colleges and universities must distribute information annually to all students about meningococcal disease.)
College students living in dormitories and military personnel are at increased risk for meningococcal meningitis because they reside in community settings where the bacteria can spread more quickly.
It’s unclear why meningococcal diseases have become less common, Ehresmann said. In Minnesota, there were nine cases in 2010 — down from 56 cases in 1999, according to the health department. The decline is the key reason, Ehresmann said, that infectious disease professionals haven’t pushed for immunizing infants and toddlers.
Currently, there are about 1,000 cases of meningococcal diseases annually in the U.S. and 150 deaths, said Jessica MacNeil, a CDC epidemiologist. Previously, there would have been a few thousand cases per year, she said.
She said the decline in cases occurred before 2005, when the government licensed the first long-lasting meningitis vaccine.
“Meningococcal disease definitely has a cyclical nature to it, and we don’t really know why that is,” MacNeil said. “It’s at an all-time low, but this is really a devastating illness. That’s why we think it’s really important that adolescents get vaccinated.”
James Dunn underscores that point.
His daughter was working on her master’s degree in English at the time of her death. The course of study fit with Jenna’s love of reading and writing, Dunn said.
When she went to an emergency room early on the morning on June 28, 1999, doctors failed to diagnose the illness fast enough to treat it, Dunn said.
In the first few years after her death, Dunn and his former wife pushed for procedures that would enable doctors and hospitals to more quickly recognize the symptoms of meningococcal disease. Now, he’s happy to support the cause of boosting vaccinations.
Meningitis cases aren’t that common, Dunn said, so the vaccination issue can fly under the radar for parents.
“We all think it can’t happen to us, but it can. And when it does, it’s devastating,” he said. “If it takes a little bit of effort to prevent (this) … by all means do it.”
Jean Pieri contributed to this report. Christopher Snowbeck can be reached at 651-228-5479. Follow him at twitter.com/ chrissnowbeck.