Establishing and Evaluating a School and University Campus-Based Approach to Implementing Serogroup B Meningococcal (MenB) Disease Recommendations in Older Adolescents and Young Adults

ABSTRACT: Project ID # 27449113

Backgroud: Meningococcal B (MenB) disease disproportionately affects 16-23 year olds. Uptake of immunizations in this age group is poor with multiple recognized barriers. There is a new national recommendation that a MenB vaccine series may be administered to youth 16-23 years of age. Method: we plan a multi-level intervention including: awareness, education, empowerment and accessibility to MenB vaccines for 16-13 year olds in high schools and a local university within Alachua County Florida. Primary intended outcomes are: a) the adaptation of available education materials on meningococcus infection and immunization for use with 16-23 year olds to diminsh vaccine uptake barriers and b) increased uptake (initiation and series completion) and knowledge of meningococcal B vaccine in the target audience. We will use pre- and post-intervention surveys and vaccine uptake data from Florida SHOTS immunization database to measure knowledge, attitudes and vaccine uptake in this population. Result: Expected results are to reach MenB immunization of 20-30% of the 16-18 year olds in high schools in Alachua County by the end of first year (~=the number achieved for MenACWY 2nd shots in this same age group) and a similar % uptak in the 18-23 year olds. Ideally this uptake of vaccine will correlate with an increased in knowledge, empowerment and awareness of the important of MenB vaccine through the multi-lever intervention effects on the community, parents and peers of adolescents and yong adults. Conclusions: A multi-lever intervention, including school-level immunization accessibility increases uptake and knowledge of MenB vaccine in parents of and individuals 16-23 years old.