Serogroup B meningococcal vaccination practice patterns on college campuses

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Vaccinology
• Epidemiology

Background:

• Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is a primary cause of invasive disease in US college students.
• Current ACIP guidelines recommend shared clinical decision-making for MenB vaccination, unlike routine recommendations for MenACWY.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate healthcare provider (HCP) attitudes and practices regarding MenB vaccination in US college student health centers (SHCs).
• To compare MenB vaccination policies and practices with MenACWY vaccination.
• To identify barriers and facilitators to MenB vaccine delivery.

Main Methods:

• An online and phone survey of SHC HCPs was conducted across US colleges from May 2017 to July 2018.
• Survey items compared SHC policies and practices for MenB versus MenACWY.
• Perceived barriers and facilitators to MenB delivery were assessed.

Main Results:

• Fewer SHCs stocked and administered MenB (37%) compared to MenACWY (54.1%).
• Colleges were significantly more likely to require, request records for, and track coverage rates for MenACWY than MenB.
• High upfront costs for SHCs (68.7%) and out-of-pocket costs for students (82.8%) were major barriers to MenB administration.

Conclusions:

• A minority of college SHCs actively promote or track MenB vaccination.
• Financial constraints for both institutions and students represent significant obstacles to MenB vaccine accessibility and administration.