Why are international students at risk of meningococcal meningitis?
College freshmen, particularly those who live in dormitories, are at modestly increased risk
for meningococcal disease relative to other persons their age.
What is meningococcal meningitis?
College Students and meningococcal vaccine
Protect yourself from life-threatining meningitis. Talk to your doctor about vaccination against meningococcal meningitis, especially if you are planning go to the US for higher education. Many colleges in the US have made the meningitis vaccine mandatory. Please find the MenACWY vaccine mandates for colleges and universities here:
State | What types of institutions? | Who is covered? | Proof of Vaccination or waiver Required? | Implementation Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
Colorado | All colleges and universities | All incoming freshmen residing on campus | Yes | 7/1/2005 |
Connecticut | All colleges and universities | All incoming freshmen residing on campus | Yes | 9/1/2002 |
Delaware | All with on-campus housing | All incoming students | Yes within 5 yrs. of enrollment | 1/1/2017 |
Florida | All Colleges and Universities | All students residing on campus | Yes | 1/1/2003 |
Georgia | University System | All incoming students residing on campus or in fraternity/sorority houses | Yes | 7/1/2015 |
Hawaii | All post-secondary institutions | First year students living in on-campus housing | Yes | 7/1/2020 |
Illinois | Public universities only | All incoming students under 21 years of age | Yes | 8/1/2016 |
Indiana | Public colleges and universities | All incoming students | Yes | 7/1/2018 |
Kansas | All with on-campus housing | All incoming students residing on campus | Yes | 7/1/2007 |
Louisiana | All colleges and universities | All on-campus students | Yes | Fall 2006 |
Maryland | All colleges and universities | All incoming students residing on-campus | Yes | 6/1/2000 |
Massachusetts | All colleges and universities | Full time health science residential students | Yes | 9/1/2005 |
Missouri | All public institutions | All students residing on-campus | Yes | 7/1/2015 |
Nevada | All colleges and universities | All incoming freshmen less than 23 yrs | Yes | 9/1/2017 |
New Jersey | All colleges and universities | All incoming students | Yes | 6/15/2020 |
New York | All colleges and universities | All students with 6 sem hrs or 4 qtr hrs | Yes | SY 2003-04 |
North Dakota | University system | All incoming freshmen less than 23 yrs. and residing in campus housing | Yes | Fall 2012 |
Oklahoma | All colleges and universities | All incoming students residing in campus housing | Yes | SY 2004-05 |
Pennsylvania | All colleges and universities | All students residing in dorm or housing unit | Yes | 8/30/2002 |
Rhode Island | All colleges and universities | All incoming students | Yes | 8/1/2015 |
Tennessee | Public universities | All incoming first year students less than 22 yrs. residing on campus | Yes | 2013 |
Texas | All colleges and universities | All incoming students | Yes, within 5 years of enrollment | 1/14/2019 |
Vermont | All colleges and universities | All first year students residing on-campus | Yes | 8/8/2019 |
Virginia | All 4 years public institutions | All incoming full time students | Yes | 9/1/2001 |
Other states* | NA | NA | NA | NA |
Source: https://www.immunize.org/laws/menin.asp
*Other States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Dist. of Columbia, Idaho, Lowa, Kentucky, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.
Talk to your doctor today, about protection against meningococcal meningitis.
References:
*MenACWY: Meningococcal vaccine against serogroup A, C, W & Y
1. https://www.immunize.org/laws/menin.asp Accessed on June 27, 2022
2. https://www.who.int/health-topics/meningitis#tab=tab_1. Accessed on June 27, 2022.
3. WHO. Meningococcal meningitis. Available at https://www.who.int/news-rooms/fact-sheets/detail/meningococcal-meningitis Accessed February 2021
4. Meningitis Research Foundation. What are meningitis and septicaemia. Available at https://www.meningitis.org/meningitis/what-is-meninhitis Accessed February 2021
5. CDC. Meningococcal disease- Diagnosis, Treatment, and Complications. Available at https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/diagnosis-treatment.html Accessed February 2021
6. Sarah Schaffer DeRooa, Rachel G. Torresb, and Linda Y.Fu HUMAN VACCINES & IMMUNITHERAPEUTICS 2021, 4675-4688, Meningococcal disease and vaccination in college students
Disclaimer
The information on this website is issued in public interest by Sanofi Healthcare India Pvt Ltd. with the intention to create general awareness around immunization. This information does not constitute any medical advice, opinion and/or recommendation / or promotion of Sanofi products. Please consult your doctor for details regarding immunization.
MAT-IN-2301346-1.0-06/23