6Way

stoPr
eventMeni
ngi
ti
s

Meningi
ti
sisaseri
ousdi
seasethatcanspreadquickl
yfrom per
sontoper
son.Fi
ndouthowt
o
pr
otectyour
sel
ffr
om t
hebacter
iaandvi
rusesthatcancausemeningi
ti
s.

1-GetVacci
nat
ed

Themostef f
ect i
vewayt opreventmeningi
ti
sistogetv accinat
edagainstthedi
sease.Thereare
currentl
ytwov accinesav ai
l
ableintheU.S.t
hatprotectagainstmostt
ypesofbact eri
almeni
ngiti
s.
The Cent er
sf orDi sease Controland Preventi
on recommends get ti
ng vaccinat
ed agai
nst
meni ngi
ti
satage11or12, fol
lowedbyaboost ershotatage16t o18.
••Get ti
ng vaccinated againstmeasles,mumps,r ubell
a,and chickenpox can help prev
ent
diseasesthatcanl eadtov i
ralmeningi
ti
s.

2-Don'
tShar
ePer
sonal
Items

Meningi
ti
scanbecontract
edwheny oucomeincontactwi
thr
espi
rat
oryorthroatsecr
eti
ons
•• KeepYourDi
stanceFrom I
nfect
edPeople
••Thebacter
iafoundi nnoseandt hroatsecr
eti
onscanalsospreadthroughcoughingand
sneezi
ng.

3-WashYourHandsVi
gor
ousl
y

Justaswithcol
dandfl
uvi
ruses,t
hev
irusesandbact
eri
aresponsi
blef
ormeni
ngi
ti
scangeton
yourhandsandi
ntoy
ourmouth.

4-BoostYourI
mmuneSy
stem

Keepy ourimmunesy st
em atit
sfi
ghti
ngbestbyeat
ingheal
thy,includi
ngf reshfr
uit
sand
veget
ables,whol
egrai
ns,andl
eanpr
otei
nsandbyget
ti
ngregul
arexer
cise.Also,besuretoget
thesl
eepy ouneed.

5-GetPr
omptTr
eat
ment

Ifyouhav ebeenincl
osecontactwithsomeonewhohasbact er
ialmeni
ngit
is,cal
lyourdoct
or
ri
ghtaway .Yourhealt
hcarepr ovi
dercangi veyouantibi
oti
cstokeepy ouf rom devel
opi
ng
meni ngi
ti
s.Theywon'
thelppreventmeningi
ti
sfrom thevir
alt
ypeofthedisease,butit
'swor
th
seeingyourheal
thcar
eprovi
derandaskingaboutyouropt
ions.