Meningitis B vaccine now available for free to N.S. students moving into a dorm

The province is expanding eligibility for the meningitis B vaccine to young people who will be living in group settings such as university residences.

It has added two groups to those considered at a higher risk of invasive meningococcal disease:

• People aged 25 and under who will be living in a dorm or residence for the first time that's operated by the post-secondary institution, and which has 13 or more young adults who share space such as sleeping areas, bathrooms and kitchens.
• First-time military recruits aged 25 and under who will be living in a group setting such as a military barrack.

"Meningococcal B is a very rare disease, but it is serious and can be life-threatening," Dr. Robert Strang, the province's chief medical officer of health, told reporters on Thursday.

"There's substantive and sufficient evidence that this group in these very particular settings are at increased risk. So it just makes sense that we now add them to that existing higher risk policy."

Strang said the period of increased risk only lasts for several months, so students who have previously lived in group settings — such as second- or third-year students — are not at the same risk.

The vaccine will be made available for free to eligible Nova Scotians, whether they are planning to live in group settings such as university dorms in Nova Scotia or elsewhere. Students from other provinces who attend university in Nova Scotia will not be eligible for the vaccine.

The program is expected to cost the province about $1.3 million.

Appointment bookings for the vaccine will open on Monday, with the first appointments available on June 5 at select pharmacies.

The vaccination program involves two doses, with the second administered at least four weeks after the first. Public Health recommends eligible people get vaccinated before they begin living in a group setting.

A letter will be sent out to Grade 12 students to advise them of the vaccine availability.

Strang said he hopes other provinces will follow suit and also offer the vaccine more widely.

Disease spread through saliva

Currently, the vaccines are only offered for free by the province to those deemed at high risk, including close contacts of confirmed cases and in outbreak situations.

People who are not covered for the publicly funded vaccine but wish to get it can speak to a health-care provider to pay for it themselves.

The meningococcal B vaccine is different from other vaccines that are already routinely administered. Children who are 12 months old can get the meningococcal C vaccine, and Grade 7 students in the province receive a quadrivalent vaccine for meningitis A, C, W and Y.

Bacteria that cause meningococcal disease are spread through direct contact with the saliva of an infected person, through, for instance, kissing or sharing utensils, drinking glasses, water bottles, toothbrushes, lipstick, vapes or cigarettes. The disease is not spread through the air.

Last November, a Saint Mary's University student died of meningitis B, and in December, a student in residence at Dalhousie University died of the B strain of meningococcal disease, while a second Dal student also contracted the disease but recovered in hospital.

Vaccine not widely covered in Canada

Most provinces in Canada do not cover the cost of meningitis B vaccines for the general population, though the vaccine is often covered for people with specific medical conditions.

Prince Edward Island recently began offering free meningitis vaccines to students living in residence at the University of Prince Edward Island and Holland College, as well as any Island students living in dorms at post-secondary institutions elsewhere.

Canada's limited coverage is in contrast to some other countries, such as England and Australia, where meningitis vaccines are routinely administered to children, including through the school immunization program.

'A moment of achievement'

In 2021, Kai Matthews, a student at Acadia University, died of an infection caused by meningococcal type B bacteria. 

Matthews's family started an organization called B for Kai to raise awareness of the symptoms and danger of meningitis, and to advocate for more widespread coverage of meningitis B vaccines.

Norrie Matthews, Kai's father, said Thursday's announcement has given him a sense of accomplishment.

"Right now … my family and I are, we're celebrating a moment of achievement," he said. "Even though it was a really difficult process to go through, this is a feel-good thing today for us."

While Matthews sees the broader vaccine rollout as a win, he said he's not done advocating for prevention of meningitis B. He would like to see the vaccine publicly funded for babies under the age of one, who are also at a high risk of invasive meningococcal disease.

He also hopes the vaccine will be made more widely available in other provinces.

"I'll never stop advocating for preventing a death that was preventable, you know? I'll never understand why this happened to Kai, and it may not ever be something I can fully accept, but I can certainly try to help make sure this doesn't happen to other people."