Meningitis Vaccines

IMO, it is very important that every incoming freshman be immunized against meningitis, particularly if he or she will be living in a dorm. Every year several college freshmen in the U.S. die of meningitis. When my son was a freshman, another freshman at his school died of meningitis on the last day of class. She was “remembered” at graduation last week because she would have been in that graduating class.

There are two types of vaccines. The first has been around for a long time and requires two doses (at least when my children were immunized). Many incoming freshmen may have already had those doses but you should check. The second vaccine was just approved by the FDA in late 2014. The outbreak that occurred at Princeton last year was a type that was not covered by the old vaccine. (See http://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/outbreaks/vaccine-serogroupb.html). The new vaccine is hard to find. Pediatricians might have it but most doctors and pharmacies do not. If you cannot find the vaccine and want a suggestion of where you should be able to find it, PM me. Since this vaccine is very new and hard to find you may choose not to get it. But you should definitely consider getting the original vaccine and talking to your doctor about meningitis outbreaks.

WARNING: I am not a doctor, health professional or in any way an expert on this issue. I am simply a mother. You should consider this post to be nothing more than a suggestion to find out about these vaccines and make the decision you feel is best.

For the availability of the new vaccine in Michigan/Canada look at the first response to a similar post I put on a Washington University in St. Louis thread.

For students in the Wayne county area… In Farmington Hills the Emily Stillman Foundation has these meningitis vaccines. They hold vaccination events about once a month. Each dose is $150 and all you need to do is email them for information and fill out a simple form. I believe they held the event today actually, and the next event is on July 20th. I got the first dose about a month ago. www.foreveremily.org is the website. Hope this was helpful…

Michigan’s health center website says it has a “limited supply” of Meningitis B vaccine. It is not cheap - $384 for the two doses.