Meningitis is an infection of the spinal cord fluid and the fluid that surrounds the brain. A bacterial form, medically referred to as meningococcal disease, infects up to 3,000 Americans every year, killing about 10 percent of its victims. Another 15 percent suffer long-term effects including hearing loss, limb amputation, and brain damage, the agency said.

The illness -- which peaks in people ages 16 to 18 -- is commonly spread among those sharing close quarters, like a college dorm. Symptoms including fever, headache, stiff neck, and fatigue may be misdiagnosed as flu. But the disease tends to progress rapidly and can kill within hours, the CDC said.

Sanofi Pasteur's new vaccine called MCV4 is a single shot that lasts longer than older vaccinations, the agency said. It was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in January. The CDC said it hoped to recommend the vaccine to all children and young adults older than age 11 within three years as sufficient supplies become available.

The CDC guidelines were quickly endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases and the National Meningitis Association.

From ScoutNews