Which of the following groups should not routinely receive the vaccine for meningococcal meningitis?

Study for the Cengage Microbiology Test with helpful multiple choice questions and detailed explanations. Ace your exam with confidence!

Meningococcal vaccination is used in a risk-based way, not as a universal vaccine for everyone. The disease is rare in healthy adults, so there’s little overall benefit to giving routine vaccination to that group, especially when there are proven strategies to protect those at higher risk.

College students living in dorms are considered higher risk due to close living conditions, so vaccination is routinely recommended for them. Infants are not routinely vaccinated unless they have specific risk factors or there’s an outbreak situation, so vaccination in all infants isn’t standard practice. Healthcare workers may be advised to vaccinate if their role involves close exposure or certain settings, but not as a blanket routine for all in that group.

Because the goal is to protect those with greater risk and conserve resources, healthy adults without risk factors should not routinely receive the meningococcal vaccine.