Experimental meningitis B vaccine coming to UCSB

Experimental meningitis B vaccine coming to UCSB

Common bacteria or viruses that can cause meningitis can spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing eating utensils, a toothbrush or a cigarette.

Students at the University of California Santa Barbara (UCSB) are being offered vaccines for meningitis B, reports the UCSB Student Health webpage.  The announcement notes that the vaccination is recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in response to the UCSB outbreak.

The outbreak at UCSB involved four confirmed cases in November 2013, leading the college authorities to suspend some social and fraternity events, reports the Washington Post.  According to the CDC, these cases were all of the same strain of meningitis, known as serogroup B meningococcal disease.  CDC, with support from UCSB and state local public health authorities, filed an Investigational New Drug (IND) application with the FDA to use a vaccine for meningitis B that is licensed for use in Europe, Canada, and Australia.

This vaccination campaign would be applied in response to the UCSB outbreak.  The IND allows access to the meningitis B vaccine during the UCSB outbreak for those identified as being at increased risk.  The vaccine campaign will take place February 24 through March 7, 2014.  Only those affiliated with UCSB are allowed access to the vaccination.  Residents of Santa Barbara are not included in the campaign because tracking shows that the outbreak has been limited to the UCSB campus.

According to the Mayo Clinic, meningitis typically results from contagious infections. Common bacteria or viruses that can cause meningitis can spread through coughing, sneezing, kissing, or sharing eating utensils, a toothbrush or a cigarette.  The CDC reports that meningitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord known as the meninges.

The inflammation is usually caused by an infection of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord.  Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria or viruses, but meningitis can also be caused by physical injury, cancer or certain drugs.  The severity of illness and the treatment for meningitis differ depending on the cause. Those who survive can be permanently paralyzed or mentally impaired.

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