Alachua County School Based Meningitis B Vaccine Program

• Who? Alachua County high school juniors and seniors age 16 and up
• What?  Meningitis B and other vaccinations at no cost to families
• When?  Permission slips are due January 21, 2020
• When and where? Alachua County High Schools
  • Initial vaccinations: January 21 – January 30
  • Booster vaccinations: February 21 – March 2.

The Foundation is working in conjunction with the Alachua County Health Department and the Alachua County public school system to increase access to meningococcal B vaccines through the 2020 Alachua County High School Vaccine Program. Goals include educating and empowering parents and adolescents along with young adults to make informed vaccination choices.

• Meningococcal disease is serious and can be fatal. It causes meningitis and/or blood infection in hundreds of healthy people each year in the U.S. Around 1 in 10 people with meningococcal disease will not survive despite timely medical treatment. Of those who do survive, 1 in 5 will have serious consequences including brain damage, hearing loss, and amputation. Learn More
• The best way to prevent meningococcal disease is vaccination. To be fully protected, two vaccines are needed – one vaccine for meningococcal disease type B (Men B) and one vaccine for meningococcal disease types A, C, W, and Y. Learn More
• You or your child may have received the vaccine that cover types A,C,W, and Y at age 11 with a booster at age 16. Since 2014, we can finally protect against Meningitis B, which is responsible for nearly half of all meningococcal infections. Learn More
• If you or your child is enrolled in an Alachua county high school and is a junior or senior, sign up for the school based vaccine program with this permission slip and follow the return instructions.