Adult cochlear implant recipients and meningitis in New Zealand: are patients receiving the recommended immunisations?

AIM: To investigate if adult cochlear implant (CI) recipients have received the recommended immunisations as compared to current guidelines and to report instances of meningitis within this population.

METHODS

Telephone interview of CI recipient's general practitioner (GP) surgeries for details regarding immunisations received. Subsequent reporting of immunisation rates of adult patients, under the care of the Northern Cochlear Implant Programme (NCIP) in New Zealand, when compared to the recommended guidelines from the Immunisation Advisory Centre (IMAC) and rates of meningitis of CI recipients are presented.

RESULTS

It is recommended to immunise against the most common organisms causing meningitis, Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (HiB), as well as influenza. Data for 135 CI recipients over the last five years was complete. 14.8% of patients had received a full pneumococcal immunisation schedule. 11.9% had received a HiB immunisation and 62.2% an influenza vaccination. No patient had developed meningitis following CI insertion.

CONCLUSION

This paper highlights clear issues with the immunisation of adult CI recipients.