Effective January 1, 2012, Texas Senate Bill 1107 requires all entering students at public and private or independent institutions of higher education to have an initial bacterial meningitis vaccination or booster dose during the five-year period preceding, or at least 10 days prior to, the first day of the first semester. Students affected by the mandate must submit proof of vaccination before the 10th class day to the Office of Admissions and Records.

A student is not required to submit evidence of receiving the vaccination against bacterial meningitis or evidence of receiving a booster dose if:

1. The student is 22 years of age or older by the first day of the start of the semester; or
2. The student is enrolled only in online or other distance education courses; or
3. The student is enrolled in a continuing education course or program that is less than 360 contact hours, or continuing education corporate training; or
4. The student is enrolled in a dual credit course which is taught at a public or private K-12 facility not located on a higher education institution campus; or
5. The student is incarcerated in a Texas prison.

A recent update to the bacterial meningitis legislation allows students, who will be attending a community college, to submit an exemption for the bacterial meningitis vaccine.

South Texas College wants to stress the importance of consulting a physician about the need for an immunization against bacterial meningitis to prevent the disease.  Meningitis is a very serious, sometimes fatal, disease that is easily spread on college campuses and we are trying to take all of the proper precautions to protect the health and well-being of our students.