Meningococcal disease is an infection caused by a strain of
bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. This nasty bug is one of
the leading causes of bacterial meningitis in children aged 2 to
18 in the U.S. Meningococcal disease can include meningitis -- a
serious, potentially life-threatening inflammation of the
membranes covering the brain and spinal cord -- and a life-
threatening blood infection. Meningococcal disease can cause
limb loss through amputation, hearing loss, problems with the
nervous system, mental retardation, seizures, and strokes. When
your young child whimpers at the mention of the word "shot," you
probably have mixed feelings. You want your son to be protected
by his vaccinations; you just wish that the procedure was pain-
free. "Vaccines protect the health and well-being of children,
but children don't understand that," says Deborah Wexler, MD,
executive director of the Immunization Action Coalition, a
national organization based in St. Paul, Minn. "It can be really
hard for them to come in