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Bacterial meningitis

Thursday

Why Meningitis That Hit Princeton Is Hard To Beat With Vaccines

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

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Josef Muellek/iStockphoto.com

Shots - Health News

Why Meningitis That Hit Princeton Is Hard To Beat With Vaccines

It turns out that the bacteria that are responsible meningitis B have a sugar coating that makes them look a lot like human cells. That similarity makes development of a vaccine against the germs especially tricky.

Tuesday

To Fight Meningitis Outbreak, Princeton Tries European Vaccine

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

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Mel Evans/AP

Shots - Health News

To Fight Meningitis Outbreak, Princeton Tries European Vaccine

The vaccine made by Novartis isn't approved for general use in the United States. But the Food and Drug Administration is allowing it on the Princeton campus. The university is offering the vaccine to students and some other people on campus through Thursday.

Wednesday

Second Meningitis Outbreak Erupts In Southern California

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

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Damian Gadal/Flickr

Shots - Health News

Second Meningitis Outbreak Erupts In Southern California

A meningitis outbreak at the University of California, Santa Barbara is causing the same kind of illnesses seen earlier at Princeton, but public health officials say a different bacterial strain is to blame. The UCSB health service has given preventive antibiotics to over 700 students as a precaution.

Tuesday

Why College Campuses Get Hit By Meningitis Outbreaks

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

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Bloomberg via Getty Images

Shots - Health News

Why College Campuses Get Hit By Meningitis Outbreaks

Princeton University is asking students to get vaccinated with a shot not approved for use in the U.S. in an effort to stop a meningitis outbreak. Meningitis can be deadly, and it spreads in places where people are in close contact, like a dormitory or a prison.

Saturday