NEW YORK, Oct 21 (Reuters Health) -- An advisory committee to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Wednesday recommended that college freshmen be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis.
The CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices urged health professionals and college administrators to inform incoming students about the vaccine, which it said is effective against most strains of meningococcal meningitis in the US. The committee recommended the vaccine particularly for dormitory residents but noted that other students who wished to reduce their risk of meningococcal disease could choose vaccination.
In making the recommendation, the advisory committee cited the results of two CDC studies conducted last year that identified a slightly higher risk of meningococcal disease among freshmen dormitory students.
As reported by Reuters Health last May, a study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association showed that college students who live on campus have triple the risk of acquiring meningococcal infection compared with their peers who live off-campus. Among the factors cited for a higher risk of the disease on campus were the relative crowding associated with dormitory residence, alcohol-related behaviors, and exposure to tobacco smoke.
The American College Health Association, which has recommended meningitis vaccinations for college students for the past few years, said that it supports the committee's recommendation. The Baltimore, Maryland-based association urged college healthcare providers to take a proactive role in disseminating information about the disease and access to the vaccine.
