Is Taking Meningitis Vaccination Safe When Suffering From Diabetes?

Posted on Mon, 2 Jun 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 2 Jun 2014 Answered on

Wed, 18 Jun 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi, I am a type 1 diabetic since the last 8 years (last HBA1c 5.9%). I will be going to US for a Ph.D in about 2 months. The university that I will be joining requires all incoming students to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis. My questions are
1.) Being a diabetic, is the vaccination safe for me?
2.) Does the vaccination has any side effects, or any transient effects?
3.) How much does it costs to get a shot, and where can I get it in Bangalore?

Answered by Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar (2 hours later)

Brief Answer:
Meningococcal vaccine

Detailed Answer:
Hi,

You can get the vaccination safely.

The benefits of vaccination are much more than side effects, which are rare.

You can get this vaccine at any big hospital and get the certificate, MCV4 vaccine (Menactra). There are other brands names for the meningitis vaccine. Quadri Meningo produced by Bio-med It costs around 600-700 INR.

Hope this helps.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Aparna Kohli