Meningitis Prevention Policy Hub

 

Key messages to help advance local, state, and federal policies that protect communities from meningococcal meningitis.

Featured Action: Protect families by keeping recommended vaccines accessible, evidence-based, and science-driven.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) next meeting is scheduled for September 18-19, 2025.

The public comment period is open through Saturday, September 13, 2-25 at 11:59 PM ET, and we need your help to ensure that vaccination recommendations remain evidence-based, transparent, and protect universal access to vaccines.

Why This Matters?

Although meningitis vaccines are not on the agenda for this meeting, many life-saving vaccines are. Helping to ensure that vaccines remain accessible is important, as decisions made during this meeting may impact meningitis vaccines in the future. 

We encourage you to adapt these key messages and make them personal:

  1. Shared Goal: We all want the same thing: healthy children, safe families, and strong communities. No one wants to see a loved one suffer from a preventable illness, and we all value the freedom to gather, learn, and work without fear of disease.

  2. Personal Connection: I have experienced the importance of accessible vaccination policies firsthand. [Insert personal story about meningitis or another vaccine-preventable disease.] Vaccines must remain accessible without unnecessary prescriptions or costs, and recommendations should always reflect the best available evidence, so other families don’t have to face what I went through. 

  3. Decisions Have Consequences: ACIP decisions directly impact everyday Americans. They determine whether insurance covers vaccines and whether families can get them easily at pharmacies or clinics. If recommendations are restricted or delayed, millions could face higher costs, added barriers, and missed protection during pregnancy, infancy, or outbreaks.

  4. Prevention Empowers: Vaccines are not about limiting choice. They give families the power to protect loved ones, ease the burden on our healthcare system, and keep communities strong.

  5. Protecting What Matters Most: This is not a debate. It’s about safeguarding what we all hold dear: our families, our freedoms, and our shared future.

How You Can Take Action

Submit Your Comment
By Saturday, Sept. 13

You will be notified via email if you are selected for oral comments.

Our written comment can be found here.

Explore Key Policy Messages & Take Action in Your Community

Meningococcal meningitis is fast-moving, deadly, and preventable—but only if the right policies are in place at every level. In addition to national efforts like the ACIP public comment period, we invite you to take inspired action in your own community.

Below are key messages and ideas to help you advocate effectively with state leaders, campus administrators, and public health decision-makers. Whether you're a parent, student, healthcare provider, or concerned community member, your voice matters.

Use these tools to:

  • Share aligned messages with policymakers

  • Raise awareness about gaps in protection

  • Encourage stronger vaccine requirements where they're needed most

Choose the topic that best fits your audience and goals—and take action today.

Key Messages By Policy Level

ACIP & CDC

I strongly urge the ACIP to reprioritize their assessment of meningococcal vaccine recommendations to ensure that more adolescents and young adults are protected from this deadly disease.

College-Level

State health policies should ensure strong and clear meningococcal vaccination requirements to protect adolescents and young adults.

State-Level

Students on college campuses are at increased risk for meningococcal meningitis, especially Meningitis B, and policies must evolve to ensure comprehensive, consistent protection across all institutions.

Stay Involved

Want to do more to help achieve a world without meningococcal meningitis?