The National Meningitis Association, which was founded by parents whose children either died or survived with permanent disabilities as a result of meningococcal disease, ended active operations on December 31, 2022, after 20 years. Many of our advocates are continuing to share their stories through Immunize.org and Vaccinate Your Family.
We encourage you to visit some of the excellent online resources for up-to-date meningococcal and other adolescent vaccination information, such as Immunize.org or Vaccinate Your Family.
We extend a sincere thank you to our advocates and our many supporters for your unwavering dedication throughout the years. We encourage all adolescents to get meningococcal vaccines, as well as other adolescent immunizations, and encourage vaccination across the lifespan.
Remember, “Get educated, get vaccinated.”
Sincerely,
The Board
History
NMA began in 2002 as a handful of parents whose families experienced the devastating impact of meningococcal disease. It was only after their experiences that they learned the disease is vaccine-preventable.
Much changed during the 20 years NMA was active:
Vaccination was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all preteens and teens as well as those of other ages with risk factors for the disease.
- Vaccination was recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for all preteens and teens as well as those of other ages with risk factors for the disease.
- Many states required vaccination for adolescents; others required that families and college students be educated about prevention.
- Vaccination rates climbed steadily while disease incidence declined.
- Vaccines became available and permissively recommended for teens and young adults to protect against serogroup B disease.