Should college students be vaccinated against meningococcal serogroup B disease?

Several small outbreaks of meningococcal serogroup B disease have occurred on college campuses since 2013. However, the disease incidence in college students remains very low (0.03 cases per 100,000 college students age 18 to 24 years in 2020). ACIP does not routinely recommend MenB vaccine for college students. However, the recommendation for shared clinical decision-making applies to all college students age 16 through 23 years who may choose to receive MenB vaccine to reduce their risk of meningococcal serogroup B disease. In addition, some colleges and universities require MenB vaccination for incoming students.

If a college student completes the MenB vaccine series at least 6 months to 1 year before being identified as at risk during an outbreak, a single booster dose of the same brand can boost levels of protective antibodies within 1-2 weeks. The ability to be protected quickly during an outbreak by a single booster dose may be an important consideration for college students, families, and administrators when deciding about getting the MenB vaccine primary series.