Chapman University Student Health (CUSH), is staffed with professionally licensed nurses, nurse practitioners and physicians. We feel your health plays a vital role in how successfully you achieve your academic, social and personal goals during your college years. Good health promotes favorable results, poor health can be a major liability.
UPDATED: Recommendations for use of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccines
Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
Recommendation for Routine Vaccination of Persons aged 11 through 18 Years
ACIP recommends routine vaccination of persons with quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine at age 11 or 12 years, with a booster dose at age 16 years. After a booster dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine, antibody titers are higher than after the first dose and are expected to protect adolescents through the period of increased risk through age 21 years. For adolescents who receive the first dose at age 13 through 15 years, a one-time booster dose should be administered, preferably at age 16 through 18 years, before the peak in increased risk. Persons who receive their first dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine at or after age 16 years do not need a booster dose. Routine vaccination of healthy persons who are not at increased risk for exposure to N. meningitides is not recommended after age 21 years.
Meningitis B
Student Health Services wants to keep the Chapman community informed of current public health topics. Several students at Santa Clara University (SCU) in California were diagnosed with Meningitis B. This is a serious illness that can be prevented by the meningococcal meningitis vaccine. It presents an opportunity for college students across the country to check their meningitis vaccination status and consider vaccination.
There are two vaccinations for meningitis. The older vaccine covers meningitis serotypes A, C, W and Y. A newer meningitis vaccine was released in the U.S. in 2015 that covers Meningitis B, which is the serotype involved in the student meningitis cases at SCU. Please take this opportunity to review your immunization status against meningitis. Ideally you should have received both meningitis vaccines.
Additional information may also be found on the Center for Disease Control and Prevention website. You may contact SHS (714) 997-6851 with additional questions.
