Meningococcal meningitis is a disease caused by a bacterial infection. It results in a severe and dangerous illness that can be fatal, and leaves 20% of those who recover with long-term disability.
Meningococcal meningitis is vaccine preventable, and people in Canada are vaccinated against it as part of the routine vaccine schedule.
Should I get the meningitis vaccine for travel?
To find out which vaccines are recommended for your trip abroad, make an appointment with Canadian Travel Clinics six to eight weeks before you depart. Select your nearest clinic to make a travel health appointment.
Travel health experts recommend the meningitis vaccine for some groups of travellers.
Do I need a meningitis certificate for my trip abroad?
People travelling for Hajj and Umrah pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, and people travelling to do seasonal work in Hajj zones will need to show a meningitis vaccine certificate on arrival.
We will provide a meningitis certificate when we vaccinate you. You will need to get vaccinated at least ten days before you arrive in Saudi Arabia. The certificate lasts for five years.
Where is there a risk of meningitis?
In some countries, meningococcal meningitis is more common. If you are going to one of these destinations or an area where there is an outbreak, your travel health adviser might recommend you get vaccinated against meningitis.
Meningitis is more common across sub-Saharan Africa, from Senegal to Ethiopia (also called the 'African Meningitis Belt'), particularly during November to June. The countries in the African meningitis belt include:
- Burkina Faso
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Chad
- Eritrea
- Ethiopia
- Gambia
- Ghana
- Guinea
- Guinea-Bissau
- Kenya
- Mali
- Niger
- Nigeria
- Senegal
- South Sudan
- Sudan
- Uganda
But meningitis also occurs the world over. In parts of the world that have four seasons, outbreaks of meningitis are mostly in the winter.
And in tropical regions, outbreaks of meningitis happen during the dry season.
Travellers at risk from meningitis
Travellers are generally at low risk from meningitis – but if there is an outbreak of meningitis where you are travelling to, then it’s likely that your travel health adviser will recommend this vaccine. And the meningitis vaccine is commonly recommended to people at increased risk because of an underlying health condition.
There is a greater risk of meningitis for babies, young adults, elderly people and people whose immune system is weak.
People visiting friends and family are at increased risk of exposure to meningococcal meningitis, as are healthcare workers. Anyone attending a large gathering is also at increased risk from meningitis.
Meningitis booster vaccine
The meningitis vaccine offers protection for five years. So, if it is more than five years since you were last vaccinated against meningitis, we may recommend a booster.
Learn more on our meningitis vaccination page.
How do I find out if there is a meningitis outbreak at my destination?
It’s best to get advice from a travel health specialist like the advisers at Canadian Travel Clinics if you are concerned about meningitis on your vacation or business trip. You can use the Government of Canada’s travel advisories to learn more about destinations, too.