meningitis

Some doctors have been hesitant to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys and girls. iStockphoto hide caption

These two Portuguese language posters are pro-inoculation. The one at left, produced in 1977, says, "Vaccinate and protect the children." The one at right, from '87, sends a similar message, noting that vaccination offers an opportunity for every youngster. National Library of Medicine hide caption

Amy Purdy, who lost both lower legs because of bacterial meningitis, performs with Derek Hough on Dancing With The Stars. Adam Taylor/ABC via Getty Images hide caption

Developing a vaccine for meningitis B was tricky. Even the existing vaccine doesn't protect against all B strains. Josef Muellek/iStockphoto.com hide caption

The Ivy League school has begun vaccinating nearly 6,000 students to try to stop an outbreak of type B meningitis in an unusual federal government-endorsed administration of a drug not generally approved for use in the U.S. Mel Evans/AP hide caption

Administrators at University of California, Santa Barbara are encouraging fraternities and sororities to hold off on parties. Damian Gadal/Flickr hide caption

Six students and a visitor have fallen ill with meningitis at Princeton University in New Jersey, shown here in August 2013. All have recovered or are recovering, officials said. Bloomberg via Getty Images hide caption