In a follow-up on the meningococcal disease situation at the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), state and federal health officials have determined that the two cases of  meningococcal illness on campus originated from a single strain of genetically identical organisms. For this reason, this meningococcal disease should be considered an outbreak.

Image/geralt
Image/geralt

University Health Services (UHS) recommends that students at the highest risk receive serogroup B vaccination at one of four upcoming walk-in clinics. UHS is offering Bexsero, a two-dose series. The second dose will be given after one month. Those at the highest risk include:

  • all undergraduates
  • graduate students living in undergraduate housing, and
  • all students with conditions such as asplenia, a complement deficiency, sickle cell anemia or those taking the medication Solaris. This includes both on-campus and off-campus students.

Walk-in clinics will be held from noon to 6 p.m. in the Cape Cod Lounge of the Student Union on:

  • Thursday, Nov. 30; first and second-year students preferred
  • Friday, Dece. 1; first and second-year students preferred
  • Monday, Dec. 4; third and fourth-year students preferred
  • Tuesday, Dec. 5; third and fourth-year students preferred

Graduate students should select any of the four days. While UHS encourages you to come on the suggested day of participation, if your schedule makes that difficult, choose an alternate date.

CDC protocols do not consider faculty and staff to be within this risk group, except for those with the conditions listed above. Faculty and staff who are concerned about exposure to meningitis or are interested in being vaccinated are encouraged to contact their primary care provider.

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