BOSTON -- There's a new recommendation for teens at risk of developing meningitis. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is calling for all children between the ages of 11 and 18 years old to get vaccinated.

The government's new recommendation comes as children heading to sleep away camp are also being urged to get the shot. NewsCenter5's Liz Brunner reported Thursday on how to protect your child.

"It was a long, hard road," said meningitis survivor Kayla St. Pierre, of North Reading.

St. Pierre has dealt with a lot of pain and suffering. She almost died from meningitis when she was 10.

"I lost both my legs and some of my fingers. My kidneys failed. I received a kidney transplant from my guardian," she said.

Complications caused by meningitis are serious. It's a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection. According to the National Meningitis Association, there are about 3,000 cases in the U.S. every year. Children are at highest risk. The disease is preventable.

"We didn't know there was a vaccine to save him," said Nancy Springer, the director of the National Meningitis Association.

Springer's son, Nick, nearly died after getting sick from meningitis while at a Massachusetts summer camp. She said the vaccine is crucial, especially for children going to sleep away camp.

"They are exposed to a lot of bacteria, and a lot more children than they are used to. That puts them at high risk for meningococcal disease," Springer said.

According to the CDC, the infection is spread by close contact such as coughing, sneezing or confined living arrangements, such as at sleep away camp.

"The risk is not estimated to be high enough to immunize all children," said Dr. Richard Malley, an infectious disease specialist at Children's Hospital Boston.

Malley said it's important to know the symptoms: high fever, headache, stiff neck and a very specific rash.

"Basically, the red spots remain even if pressure is placed on the skin," Malley said.

Despite her hardships, St. Pierre is heading to college. She's on a mission to get all her classmates vaccinated against the disease that nearly killed her.

"It's very rare, but if you contract it, it can be deadly and you can suffer serious complications like I did, and that's something I don't want to happen," she said.