Princeton University Considering Unapproved Meningitis Vaccine

Princeton University students are not kissing each other, even if they're under the traditional kiss-inducing mistletoe, but it may not be for reasons one might expect.

School administrators are mulling a meningitis vaccine for students, an emergency response to an outbreak on campus that has left seven with the disease diagnosis since March, according to the ABC News.

The U. S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) was seeking permission to import a vaccine to limit a recent meningitis outbreak on the campus. Meningitis symptoms feel a lot like the flu with a fever and body pains, but a stiff neck is the telltale sign that the illness is much more serious,

CDC Spokesman Barbara Reynolds noted the agency was asking the Food and Drug Administration for permission to import a meningitis vaccine used for uncommon strains of the disease recently confirmed in Princeton.

"We will be working with the school to bring that in if we need to," Ms. Reynolds said.

The most recent case, a male student, was hospitalized Nov. 10 after falling ill the day before, according to the university.

Without rapid treatment, about 10 percent of those infected could die, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. Patients who survive risk permanent brain and hearing damage.

Students on campus were mostly hopeful about the possibility of being given a not-yet-approved vaccine.

"I'm honestly not too worried," said Paul Przytycki, a 23-year-old graduate student in computer science from Bethesda, Md, according to the Associated Press. "When the vaccines come in, I'm going to get vaccinated just to be safe, but no one I know has been affected, so it's not too scary yet."