Nearly a year after Matthew Knight Arena hosted the first meningitis B vaccination clinic, a fourth large-scale inoculation effort is scheduled for next week.

Students are strongly encouraged to be vaccinated, and the UO is making it easy with an on-campus clinic Monday, Feb. 15, and Tuesday, Feb. 16, again at Matthew Knight Arena. Both days will have vaccinations available from noon to 8 p.m.

The clinic is a chance for students to finish, continue or even start the multiple-shot series.

For the clinics, students should bring:

• UO ID
• Insurance card (and pharmacy card) if applicable, and
• Completed meningitis B vaccination form (download in English or Español). 

The university will bill insurance directly. Donated doses are available for students who do not have insurance, so all students encouraged to attend. More information and locations for off-campus pharmacy options are available on the University Health Center's meningitis website.

Meningitis B is a serious illness that caused the death of one UO student last year and hospitalized several others. Public health officials say it’s not as easy to catch as the common cold and some people carry it without symptoms, but because it can be fatal it’s important to get vaccinated.

The continued vaccination effort is also extending research opportunities for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Oregon Health Authority. The organizations are returning to campus to continue a study to assess the impact of the serogroup B meningococcal vaccines. On campus next week, they will be asking students to provide throat swabs to look for asymptomatic carriage of meningococcal bacteria.

Students who participated in the CDC evaluation last spring and in October are eligible, as well as newcomers and those who have yet to be vaccinated. Participation in this evaluation is entirely voluntary and participants will receive a $5 Amazon gift card. Additional information about the evaluation can be found on the University Health Center website.

For more information visit: meningitis.uoregon.edu, or contact the health center at 541-346-2770.

—By Julie Brown, Enterprise Risk Services