Meningococcal Questions and Answers

(Adapted from the American College Health Association Web site)

About the Disease

What is meningococcal meningitis?

Meningococcal disease is a rare but potentially fatal bacterial infection. The disease is expressed as either meningococcal meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord or meningococcemia, the presence of bacteria in the blood.

What causes meningococcal meningitis?

Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, a leading cause of meningitis and septicemia (or blood poisoning) in the United States. Meningitis is one of the most common manifestations of the disease, although it has been known to cause septic arthritis, pneumonia, brain inflammation and other syndromes.

How many people die from meningococcal meningitis each year?

Meningococcal disease strikes about 3,000 Americans each year and is responsible for approximately 300 deaths annually. It is estimated that 100 to 125 cases of meningococcal disease occur annually on college campuses and five to 15 students die as a result.

How is meningococcal meningitis spread?

Meningococcal disease is transmitted through the air via droplets of respiratory secretions and direct contact with an infected person. Direct contact, for these purposes, is defined as oral contact with shared items such as cigarettes or drinking glasses or through intimate contact such as kissing.

What are the symptoms?

The early symptoms usually associated with meningococcal disease include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea, vomiting, and lethargy, and may resemble the flu. Because the disease progresses rapidly, often in as little as 12 hours, students are urged to seek medical care immediately if they experience two or more of these symptoms concurrently.

About the Vaccine

How effective is the vaccine?

The meningococcal vaccine has been shown to provide protection against the most common strains of the disease, including serogroups A, C, Y and W-135. The vaccine has shown to be 85 to 100 percent effective in serogroups A and C in older children and adults.

Is the vaccine safe? Are there adverse side effects to the vaccine?

The vaccine is very safe and adverse reactions are mild and infrequent, consisting primarily of redness and pain at the site of injection lasting up to two days.

What is the duration of protection?

The duration of the meningococcal vaccine's efficacy is approximately three to five years.

About Meningococcal Disease in College Students

Are college students at higher risk for meningococcal disease?

Recent evidence found students residing on campus in dormitories appear to be at higher risk for meningococcal disease than college students overall. Further research recently released by the CDC shows freshmen living in dormitories have a six times higher risk of meningococcal disease than college students overall.

Although anyone can come in contact with the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease, data also indicates certain social behaviors, such as exposure to passive and active smoking, bar patronage, and excessive alcohol consumption, may put students at increased risk for the disease. Patients with respiratory infections, compromised immunity, those in close contact to a known case, and travelers to endemic areas of the world are also at increased risk.

How often do outbreaks occur on college campuses?

From 1980 to 1993, there were 21 outbreaks, three of which occurred in colleges. From 1994 to 1996, there have been 26 outbreaks, four of which occurred in colleges. (Between 1986 and 1993, an outbreak was defined as five cases of the same serogroup in 100,000 people with at least three occurring within three months. From 1994 to present, 10 cases of the same serogroup in 100,000 people with at least three occurring within three months constitute an outbreak.)

Is one type of serogroup of meningococcal meningitis more common in college students?

Recent evidence shows the epidemiology of meningococcal disease is changing with a majority of cases (65 percent) in the college age group caused by either serogroup C, Y, or W-135, which are all vaccine-preventable.

What are the federal recommendations for meningococcal vaccination of college students?

The Centers for Disease Control's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that college students, particularly freshman living in dormitories, be educated about meningococcal meningitis and the potential benefits of vaccination. Immunizations should be provided or made easily available to those freshmen who wish to reduce their risk for meningococcal meningitis. Other undergraduate students wishing to reduce their risk for meningococcal meningitis can also choose to be vaccinated.

Additionally, the ACIP recommends that colleges and universities provide information about meningococcal disease and the vaccine to freshman, particularly those who plan to live in dormitories and resident halls, and encourages public health agencies to serve as a resource for information about meningococcal disease and vaccination, including how to obtain the vaccine.

The American College Health Association (ACHA) supports the ACIP's recommendations.

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