Meningococcal B Required For Registration

“The effects [of Men B] are long-lasting,”

December 7, 2018
Purdue Exponent

SUMMARY

As of July 1, the Meningococcal B vaccine has been added to the list of required immunizations for a student attending a state educational institution in Indiana. Without receiving the vaccine, students may not be able to register for classes.

Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that leads to inflammation in the spine and brain, leading to potential death.

Sarah Sayger, the medical director at Purdue University Student Health Services, was vocal in her support for the move.

“I can tell you, I have seen as a resident how rapidly progressive and devastating it is (to the patient). The effects are long-lasting,” Sayger said.

Though cases of Meningococcal infection are not that common, college students are especially susceptible to contracting the disease. Most victims are around the ages of 16 through 23, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which is the typical age range of students.

Men. B spreads well in areas where people live in close proximity to each other, and college dorms are prime areas for the disease to spread. According to the National Meningitis Association, from 2013-2016, there were five cases of college campus outbreaks in the U.S. Princeton University and the University of Oregon were a few of the colleges that experienced outbreaks.

Purdue now requires students to get the vaccine in order to continue to take classes, and enforced the policy by placing holds on students who had not submitted all their immunization information through the patient portal. Students could have experienced holds on their MyPurdue accounts if they missed the Sept. 30 deadline, and still can experience them if they don’t meet the upcoming March 1 deadline for the second Men. B vaccination.

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