Meningococcal Serogroup B Outbreak Response University of Wisconsin-Madison

• Published in: Journal of American college health Vol. 67; no. 3; pp. 191 - 196
• Main Authors: Ritscher, Alicia M, Ranum, Nancy, Malak, Joel D, Ahrabi-Fard, Susann, Baird, Jennifer, Berti, Andrew D, Curtis, William, Holden, Marlena, Jones, Cheryl D, Kind, Jennifer, Kinsey, William, Koepke, Ruth, Schauer, Stephanie L, Stein, Elizabeth, Van Orman, Sarah, Ward, Brian G, Zahner, Susan J, Hayney, Mary S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 03.04.2019; Taylor & Francis Inc
• Subjects: Clinics; Communicable Diseases; Cooperation; Documentation; Dosage; Drug Therapy; Emergency Programs; Epidemics; Error Patterns; Health care; Health Promotion; Immunization Programs; Information Dissemination; Leadership; Partnerships in Education; Planning; Prevention; Public Colleges; Public health; Teams; Undergraduate Students; Universities; Vaccines; Volunteers; Wisconsin (Madison); vaccine; points of dispensing; Emergency response; university; serogroup B meninogococcus; outbreak; student health
• ISSN: 0744-8481; 1940-3208
• DOI: 10.1080/07448481.2018.1469502

A meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) outbreak at a large public university prompted an emergency response to immunize undergraduates. Objective: To report on a successful meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) vaccine clinic response at a large public university. Methods: We assembled the team leaders to write this case report. Results: Activation of the emergency plan and points of dispensing required cooperation of many units on campus under the leadership of university health officials with support from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, state division of public health and the city-county health department. Significant efforts to provide consistent messages to students and parents regarding the outbreak and the availability of the MenB vaccines were made. Volunteers were recruited to staff the clinics alongside university healthcare providers. Over 22,000 doses of vaccine were administered. Conclusion: We report our experience and lessons learned which may be helpful to universities in preventing and responding to disease outbreaks.