TUCSON, Ariz., Nov. 27, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Students at Princeton University are being offered a vaccine against type B meningococcal meningitis, after seven cases were reported. Bexsero, manufactured by Novartis, is not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and will be imported under special approval by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) issued the following advisory:
"In deciding whether to serve as the equivalent of an experimental subject for a potentially lucrative product, students should carefully weigh risks and benefits.
The risk of contracting type B meningococcal meningitis is very low. The efficacy of the vaccine is not known.
If you have possibly been exposed to the disease, you need to take prophylactic antibiotics, vaccinated or not.
Vaccines, like other medical products, can have serious adverse effects, which may not be discovered until they are in widespread use.
Huge potential profits and immunity from legal liability for adverse effects of government-recommended vaccines provide incentives to understate risks and overstate benefits.
Students should always practice good hygiene. Don't share towels, cups, or personal items, and avoid casual sex.
Ask questions and do your own research before participating in a study. Do not allow yourself to be pressured."
The Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS) is a national organization representing physicians in all specialties, founded in 1943 to preserve private medicine and the patient-physician relationship.