Once you are vacinated, is there a chance that you could get infected with meningitis?

Ginny Marso responds:

The vaccines for meningococcal disease, Menactra and the older Menomune, protect against four of the five strains of meningococci, the bacteria that cause the disease. These four strains account for about 70% of the cases in the United States . In addition to vaccination, you are encouraged to use preventive hygiene by practicing frequent and thorough hand washing. The bacteria causing meningococcal disease are passed through air droplets and transmitted through intimate rather than casual contact, for instance, kissing.