As a parent, you probably want to protect your child from illness and injury whenever possible. One way to do that is to make sure they are properly vaccinated. You may have thought the days of vaccines ended when your child started kindergarten, but as medicine evolves, more and more vaccines are available for kids between the ages of 11 and 18.

Because some of its symptoms are similar to those of viral infections, bacterial meningitis can be hard to diagnose. For adults, teens, and children, the first signs may come on quickly or surface a few days after the onset of a runny nose, diarrhea, vomiting, headache, fever, or other signs of an infection.

Vaccinations are some of the most important tools available for preventing disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Not only do they protect individuals from developing a potentially serious disease, but they also protect the community by reducing the spread of infectious disease.

You've probably read the tragic news stories about the college kid or the young athlete who died from meningitis. Or you've heard the rumors about how you can catch it by kissing someone. But how much do you really know about the disease? Get the truth behind the top 10 meningitis myths.

Meningococcal disease, or bacterial meningitis, is a rare and potentially deadly disease marked by the inflammation of the thin tissue that envelopes the brain and spinal cord, known as the meninges. (Viral meningitis, a less serious form of the disease, is the result of a virus entering the body through the nose or mouth and traveling to the brain.

It's every parent's worst nightmare: Their teenager returns home from camp or college with a fever, headache, and stiff neck--symptoms that sound a lot like the flu. But as it turns out, their son or daughter is suffering from a much scarier illness, meningitis.