Serogroup B meningococcal vaccination practice patterns on college campuses

Rachel Haimowitz; Rachel Torres; Susan Caleb; Danielle Thompson; Allison Smith; Carlo Ciotoli; Martha Dannenbaum; Linda Y Fu

doi:10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.09.035

Serogroup B meningococcal vaccination practice patterns on college campuses

Vaccine. 2020 Oct 27;38(46):7350-7356. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.09.035. Epub 2020 Oct 1.

Authors

Rachel Haimowitz¹, Rachel Torres¹, Susan Caleb¹, Danielle Thompson¹, Allison Smith², Carlo Ciotoli², Martha Dannenbaum³, Linda Y Fu⁴

Affiliations

¹ General and Community Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA.
² NYU Student Health, New York University, 726 Broadway, New York, NY 10003 USA.
³ Student Health Services, Texas A&M University, 1264 TAMU, College Station, TX 77843 USA.
⁴ General and Community Pediatrics, Children's National Hospital, 111 Michigan Ave., NW, Washington, DC 20010 USA. Electronic address: lfu@childrensnational.org.

PMID: 33010977
DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.09.035

Abstract

Background: Most Neisseria meningitidis involved in invasive disease among American college students express serogroup B antigen. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends healthcare providers (HCPs) share clinical decision making with patients to determine individual value of meningococcal serogroup B vaccination (MenB) rather than routinely recommend vaccination as with the meningococcal A,C,W,Y vaccine (MenACWY). This study examines the attitudes and practices of HCPs working in college student health centers (SHCs) regarding the recommendation and administration of MenB to students.

Methods: The study was conducted as an online and phone survey of SHC HCPs from a sample of colleges across the United States between May 2017 and July 2018. Items compared college SHC policies and practices for MenB to those for MenACWY. It also assessed perceived barriers to and facilitators of MenB delivery to students.

Results: Among the 147 respondents, almost 50% more reported their SHC stocked and administered MenACWY (54.1%) than MenB (37%) (p = .004). Almost five times as many colleges required their students receive MenACWY as MenB (53.5% vs. 10.5%, p < .001). A greater percentage requested students to submit records for MenACWY than MenB (77.3% vs. 46.9%, p < .001), and over three times as many tracked student-body coverage rates for MenACWY than MenB (55.6% vs. 15.8%, p < .001). Nearly three quarters of respondents estimated their college's student body MenB coverage rate to be ≤ 10% or were unable to provide any estimate. Factors perceived by over half of the participants as moderate to extreme barriers to administering MenB included high upfront costs for SHCs to purchase and stock MenB (68.7%), and high out-of-pocket costs for students to receive it (82.8%).

Conclusions: A minority of college SHCs require, offer or track Men B vaccination on their campuses. Financial concerns are common barriers to SHCs' stocking and administering MenB to students.

Keywords: College; Meningococcal vaccines; Practice guidelines; Quality improvement; Vaccination; Young adult.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Humans
Male
Meningococcal Infections* / epidemiology
Meningococcal Infections* / prevention & control
Meningococcal Vaccines*
Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B*
Serogroup
United States
Vaccination

Substances

Meningococcal Vaccines