The mother asks about meningitis prevention; the nurse should respond based on knowledge that...

• A. Vaccination to prevent all types of meningitis is available.
• B. Often a genetic predisposition to meningitis is found.
• C. Meningitis rarely occurs during infancy.
• D. Vaccination to prevent Haemophilus influenzae type b meningitis has decreased the frequency of this disease in children.

Answer: (D)

Vaccination against Haemophilus influenzae type b has dramatically reduced meningitis caused by that organism. Historically, Hib was a leading cause of bacterial meningitis in young children, but once the Hib vaccine was added to routine immunizations, the number of Hib meningitis cases dropped steeply. This makes Hib vaccination a powerful example of how targeted vaccines can prevent a specific, real danger in children.

There isn’t a single vaccine that prevents all types of meningitis, since meningitis can be caused by different bacteria, viruses, or fungi, and vaccines exist for some but not all. Genetics aren’t the main factor driving meningitis risk, and infants can still be at risk from multiple pathogens, so prevention focuses on immunization against the common bacterial causes and other protective measures.