Bacterial Meningitis Vaccination
April 27, 2012
Passage of Senate Bill (SB) 1107, 82nd Texas Legislature, Regular Session, requires all entering students at Texas institutions of higher education to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis within the last five years and at least 10 days prior to the first day of class. The purpose of this letter is to request that you inform all college-bound students about the vaccine requirement and encourage them to receive the vaccination while they are still in high school.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends a booster dose of meningococcal vaccine for those 16-18 years of age. If all college-bound students receive the recommended booster dose, they will meet the requirements of SB 1107.
Students under 19 years of age may be eligible for a low-cost vaccine through the Texas Vaccines for Children Program (TVFC). Parents should contact their child’s doctor for more information about the TVFC program. Children are usually eligible for TVFC if they are:
Enrolled in Medicaid
Enrolled in CHIP
Uninsured
American Indian or Alaskan Native
Underinsured children - A child whose health insurance does not cover vaccines; a child whose insurance covers only selected vaccines (TVFCeligible for non-covered vaccines only); or a child whose insurance caps vaccine coverage at a certain amount.
We also ask that you inform students and their parents of the opportunity to enroll in the Texas Immunization Registry at www.ImmTrac.com, which provides electronic storage of immunization records, and allows individuals to quickly access their records as needed.
To see original letter, Click here
