NYC Steps Up Meningitis Warning

Yesterday the New York City Department of Health issued a stronger warning about the ongoing rash of meningitis cases among gay men. Their latest recommendation includes a directive that all at-risk gay men in much of Brooklyn, not just the HIV+, should be vaccinated. Via press release:

Meningococcal vaccine should be offered to HIV-infected men who are New York City residents and who report intimate contact with a man met either through an online website, digital application ("app"), or at a bar or party since September 1, 2012. Meningococcal vaccine should now also be offered to men who have sex with men, regardless of HIV status, if they live in specific areas of Brooklyn (Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brownsville, Bushwick, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, Downtown Brooklyn, Dumbo, East New York, Prospect Heights, and Williamsburg) and report intimate contact with a man met either through an online website, digital application ("app"), or at a bar or party since September 1, 2012.

Last month the city began offering free vaccinations to high-risk HIV+ gay men in all five boroughs.  There have been at least four deaths since the outbreak began early this fall.