Friday, May 27, 2016

New Meningitis Vaccine Requirements for Ohio Schools 2016-2017 School Year

     The Neisseria meningitis vaccine helps prevent the leading bacterial cause of meningitis in pre-teens, teens, and young adults. The vaccine we use is called Menveo (manufactured by GSK) and we have routinely been giving it to our 11 year olds and high schoolers (usually 16-18 years of age) for a few years. Although many colleges have required the vaccine (two doses), the middle schools and high schools have not required the vaccine in years past. That is now changing.
     For the 2016-2017 school year, the State of Ohio is now requiring that the first dose be given before the start of 7th Grade and the second dose be given before 12th Grade. Our office schedule has meant the vast majority of pre-teens and teens have been up to date for school, but there are some of our patients who were not receiving the second dose until 12th grade. If your child has not received the dose, they can either do it at a well visit before their senior year starts or come in for a shot-only visit this summer (call to schedule these ahead of time). We can print out their shot record for proof to the school that your child is up to date.

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