BMJ  2006;332 (25 February), doi:10.1136/bmj.332.7539.0

Students may have a higher risk for meningococcal disease than other adolescents

Risk factors for meningococcal disease in adolescence differ from those in childhood. In a prospective matched cohort study with 144 case-control pairs aged 15 to 19, Tully and colleagues (p 445) found that being a student, intimate kissing with multiple partners, a history of preceding illness, and preterm birth were independently associated with higher risk of meningococcal disease. Attending religious ceremonies and meningococcal vaccination were associated with protection. Changing personal behaviours could reduce the risk of the disease in adolescence, but developing further effective meningococcal vaccines remains a key priority, say the authors.

Credit: IMAGE SOURCE/REX

 

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