Aventis Pasteur Recalls Meningitis Vaccine

Vaccine May Not Protect Against Strain Found In Africa

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- College students nationwide are being advised that a vaccine they received may not work.

The meningitis vaccine given to many students is being recalled by the manufacturer.

Aventis Pasteur, which produced the adult version of the vaccine, says it may not ward off a strain found in certain parts of Africa or in laboratories that study the disease.

The company will pay for those at risk to be revaccinated, the Lansing (Mich.) State Journal reported.

Information released by Aventis said that most college students who have been vaccinated are likely not to be at risk and should only be revaccinated if they plan on traveling to countries that pose a high-risk for contracting serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis, or if they will be working with meningococcal organisms, such as in a laboratory.

"The reality is there aren't a large number of students who travel to Sub-Saharan Africa," said Kathi Braunlich, communications and planning coordinator at Michigan State University. "We want people to be well-informed," she told the Journal.

Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation around the spinal cord and brain. Symptoms of the disease are similar to the flu.

On-campus residents are often advised to get vaccinated against the bacteria because chances of a meningitis outbreak are higher in tight quarters. The disease can be spread through kissing, coughing and sharing eating utensils.

Additional Resource:

• Information From The Manufacturer

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