• Haemophilus vaccine (HiB vaccine) in children will help prevent one type of meningitis.
• The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is now a routine childhood immunization and is very effective at preventing pneumococcal meningitis.
• Household members and others in close contact with people who have meningococcal meningitis should receive preventive antibiotics to avoid becoming infected themselves.

The meningococcal vaccination is recommended for:

• Adolescents ages 11 - 12 and adolescents entering high school (about age 15) who have not already received the vaccination.
• All college freshmen who have not been vaccinated and are living in dorms.
• Children age 2 and older who do not have their spleen or who have other problems with their immune system.
• Those traveling to countries where diseases caused by meningococcus are very common (ask your doctor).

Some communities conduct vaccination campaigns after an outbreak of meningococcal meningitis.