• Mission & Governance
• Services Overview
• How to Get Involved
• Standing Committees
• NCSL Foundation

• Issue Areas: A-Z
• State-Federal Relations
• NCSL Standing Committees
• News from D.C. and the States

• About State Legislatures
• Elections, Campaigns & Redistricting
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory
• Web Sites

• Online Guide to NCSL Services
• Staff Sections and Networks
• Meetings & Professional Development
• Staff Directories

• Meetings Calendar
• Online Registration
• Meetings Home Page
• Legislative Summit

• Bookstore
• State Legislatures Magazine
• NCSL's StateConnect Directory

Meningitis Laws by State

Updated July 2008

This chart contains information about meningitis vaccination laws. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have no meningitis vaccination laws.  Twenty-one states, Alaska, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Virginia and Wisconsin, require that post-secondary students receive the meningitis vaccination or sign a waiver after reading information about the risks of meningitis.  New York and Louisiana also impose its vaccine or waiver requirement on students in secondary schools.  Two states, Connecticut and New Jersey require the meningitis vaccination at post-secondary institutions with only medical or religious exemptions.  Sixteen states require that information about meningitis be provided to students and parents or guardians in various populations. Seven of these states, including Arkansas, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina and West Virgina require information be distributed exclusively to post-secondary students. Connecticut has a law mandating students in dormitories receive the vaccine and also requires all prospective students to receive information on meningitis and its vaccination. Four states, including Kentucky, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina and Oklahoma, in addition to vaccination requirements for post-secondary students, require information to be distributed to other specific populations.  Washington only requires information is distributed to parents of students beginning with sixth grade entry.  Three states, including Illinois, Michigan and Texas require information is distributed to post-secondary school students and other populations, but in all three states these requirements are cited in different statutes.

State	No Requirements	Requires Vaccine or Waiver	Allows  Exemptions	Requires Meningitis Information
Alabama	X
Alaska		X
Arizona	X
Arkansas				X
California		X
Colorado		X
Connecticut			X (Medical/Religious)	X
Delaware		X
District of Columbia	X
Florida		X
Georgia		X
Hawaii	X
Idaho	X
Illinois				X
Indiana				X
Iowa		X
Kansas		X
Kentucky		X		X
Louisiana		X
Maine				X
Maryland		X
Massachusetts		X		X
Michigan				X
Minnesota				X
Mississippi				X
Missouri		X
Montana	X
Nebraska				X
Nevada	X
New Hampshire	X
New Jersey			X (Medical/Religious)	X
New Mexico	X
New York		X
North Carolina		X		X
North Dakota	X
Ohio		X
Oklahoma		X		X
Oregon	X
Pennsylvania		X
Rhode Island*
South Carolina				X
South Dakota	X
Tennessee		X
Texas				X
Utah	X
Vermont	X
Virginia		X
Washington				X
West Virginia				X
Wisconsin		X
Wyoming	X

*Rhode Island requires the meningitis vaccine to be available to children over age two in the immunization program, but does not have specific school mandates.

Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, July 2008.

Note: List may not be comprehensive, but is representative of state laws that exist. NCSL appreciates additions and corrections.

Top of Page

Immunizations Main Page

Women's Health Project || Women's Health Resources

Children, Adolescent, and Women's Health Policy Topic List

Health Policy Issues A to Z