What Do You Need to Know About Meningitis?

Meningitis is a frightening illness, but arming yourself with some knowledge will help you realize it's preventable and will help you raise awareness. Here are some resources from area doctors and national health organizations.

• Dr. Pramod Narula, chairperson of the Department of Pediatrics at New York Methodist Hospital in Brooklyn, answers your questions about the dangers (or lack thereof) of meningococcal disease.
• Drs. Elaine Barfield and Eunice Rhee explain why parents should say 'yes' to immunizations for their children.
• Seven tips on how to handle a meningitis case at camp from the National Meningitis Association.
• Also from the NMA: A hand-out of resources and facts about meningitis.
• And from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: A meningococcal vaccine information statement, including specifics about the types of vaccines available, who is considered high-risk, and who should not get vaccinated.

Our article about Nick Springer, who contracted meningitis while attending sleep-away camp, and the challenges he and his family faced because of the disease. “He had last rites in the hospital,” says Nick's father. “They didn’t think he was going to make it.”