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The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved two serogroup B meningococcal (meningitis) vaccines for use in people between 10 and 25 years of age.

On October 29, 2014, the agency approved the three-dose vaccine Trumenba® and then licensed the two-dose shot, Bexesero® on January 23, 2015.

Routine meningitis shots are already recommended for teens and college students, but until the approval of Trumenba, there was no meningitis B vaccine licensed for use in the United States.

According to a February 26 Fox News article, a federal panel is recommending that the meningitis B vaccines be administered to stop the spread of meningitis during the outbreak as opposed to being given as a preventative shot.

Between spring 2013 and spring 2014, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the FDA collaborated with local health departments to administer the meningitis B vaccine to local universities affected by outbreaks. More than 13,000 doses were administered at Princeton University in New Jersey and 17,000 serogoup B shots were given to University of California Santa Barbara students in response to an outbreak.

Because college freshman living in close living quarters are the most at risk for meningitis, The CDC suggests that all incoming freshman living in dorms get vaccinated for meningitis. A booster shot is recommended for students who got a meningitis shot prior to their 16th birthday.

Physicians may also recommend that commuting students also get the meningitis vaccine as a safety precaution.

The vaccine injury lawyers at Anapol Schwartz recommend that parents take a proactive approach and talk to their child’s physician regarding the advantages of the meningitis vaccine as well as potential meningitis vaccine reactions.

2 Comments

  1. Gravatar for Andy Marso
    Andy Marso

    I almost died of meningitis B in 2004 and lost parts of all four limbs. The new shots have been subjected to controlled studies to determine safety and efficacy. My recommendation would be to get the Men B vaccine so you can keep your limbs and your life.

  2. Gravatar for Claire Palmer
    Claire Palmer

    Andy, I read your book after seeing your letter to students at the University of Oregon. Thank you for your continued advocacy. I took my children to Canada last November to receive the first does of Bexsero vaccine with the help of Alicia Stillman, who lost her daughter, Emily, to MenB two years ago. I administered the second dose myself a month later. Most parents can't afford to do what I did. I don't understand the CDC. How many more kids have to die or live with permanent disabilities before they will act?

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