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2d college gets meningitis vaccine

GENEVA — The Swiss drug maker Novartis said a second US university is using its new vaccine against meningitis B. The vaccine, Bexsero, is being used at the University of California Santa Barbara until March 7 to help protect 20,000 students and staff after an outbreak.

The vaccine shot for the B strain of the meningitis bacteria is approved for use in Europe, Australia, and Canada, but not yet for general use in the United States.

But the Food and Drug Administration has approved the use of Bexsero twice in response to outbreaks at college campuses. It is the first vaccine against the B strain of meningitis.

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Princeton University said that almost 5,300 people got the vaccine last year in an effort to halt an outbreak there.

Associated Press