Meningitis

Meningitis Under Microscope

Updated January 5, 2017

Meningitis B Vaccine Availability

The University strongly recommends that undergraduate students and graduate students, who are not older than 25 and who will be living in dormitories, receive a meningococcal B meningitis vaccine if they have not already. 

NOTE: Students who have already received two doses of the vaccine do not need additional doses.

The University held several meningitis B vaccine clinics in September, October and November 2016. No additional clinics are scheduled; however, both the Bexsero (provided at the clinics) and Trumenba vaccines are available by appointment through University Health Services. The vaccines are also available through many personal physicians and local CVS Minute Clinics.

Vaccine Costs

The Princeton University Student Health Plan and most insurance carriers will cover the cost of the vaccine. 

Students who are on the Student Health Plan or covered by other insurance will have the cost of the vaccine charged to their student account. Students will receive documentation to send to their insurance company for reimbursement and may use those funds to pay their bill.

Background

In May 2016, two undergraduate students at Rutgers University were diagnosed with meningitis B.  While these cases are not related to the outbreak at Princeton, health officials from the NJ Department of Health and the US Centers for Disease Control are closely monitoring the situation.  We highly recommend that all Princeton undergraduate students receive a meningococcal B vaccine in addition to the State-required quadrivalent vaccine.  Please refer to http://health.rutgers.edu/meningitis/ for information about the meningitis B outbreak at nearby Rutgers University.

Between March 2013 and March 2014, nine cases of meningococcal B meningitis were associated with Princeton University.  Eight of these cases occurred on the Princeton campus between March 2013 and November 2013, with the ninth case, a fatality, occurring off-campus. 

The University worked closely with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the New Jersey Department of Health to provide a vaccine not yet licensed in the US to the campus population believed to be at most risk.  Between December 2013 and November 2014, more than 98% of all undergraduate students received at least one dose of the two-dose vaccine, and 96% received both doses.  In the spring of 2015, based on the absence of additional cases since the vaccination program, CDC stated that the risk at Princeton was now no greater than on other campuses. The University continues to consult with CDC in the provision of meningococcal B vaccine and is highly recommending that incoming students receive the vaccine..

Since the 2013 outbreak, two meningococcal B vaccines have become licensed in the US,  and are approved for individuals who are 10 to 25 years old: , Bexsero (2 doses, used in our vaccination campaign before it was licensed) and Trumemba (3 doses).  The vaccines are not interchangeable.  Note that these vaccines are different from the New Jersey State-required quadrivalent (ACWY) meningococcal vaccine (such as Menactra, Menveo), which does not protect against the outbreak strain of meningococcal  B meningitis.  It is highly recommended that all Princeton undergraduate students and graduate student who live in dormitories receive a meningococcal B vaccine in addition to  the State-required quadrivalent vaccine. 

Information Resources

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Archived Meningitis Information