Demographics of Meningitis-Induced Hearing Impairment: Implications for Immunization of Children Against Hemophilus Influenzae Type B

During the 1983-84 school year, 3,618 students under age 18 years with hearing impairments caused by meningitis were reported to the Gallaudet Research Institute Annual Survey, accounting for 8.7 per cent of children in the survey under 18 years. This research suggests that universal vaccination at age 18 months could prevent at least 115 cases of hearing loss annually in the United States. Reported prevalence rates of hearing loss from meningitis are higher for blacks (.98 per 10⁵ than for all hearing impaired students (.58 per 10⁵) and higher for males (.68 per 10⁵) than females (.48 per 10⁵). Geographic differences are also observed. Among those students with hearing losses from meningitis, 86.7 percent lose their hearing prior to age 3 years, 62.6 percent has profound hearing loss and 22.7 percent manifested additional sequelae, most of which were neurological.