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Meningococcal Vaccine Note: If not immunized, participant may sign a waiver declining this vaccination.

What exactly does this mean? (english not my first language) Is it saying that I dont need to take the vaccine if I am not immune?

Chromoo
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  • What is the "participant" participating in? It sounds to me as if people who are participating in some study can decline to be vaccinated even if they have not previously been vaccinated; that is, vaccination is not required in order to participate. If you or your child is a participant, you need to ask a nurse or doctor what this means. – ab2 Mar 07 '16 at 03:04
  • Participant in this case stands for English Language School (ESL). It's for students who want to go to abroad to learn a secondary language. Me and my girlfriend are Japanese and we do not understand what it means so we wanted to translate it to show it to a nearby doctor. – Chromoo Mar 07 '16 at 03:12
  • For a long time, vaccinations and immunizations were required as a matter of routine at public and many private schools in the United States. People who grew up in the days when memories of polio (for example) were still strong recognized the value of these programs. But in recent years in the U.S., an anti-vaccination political movement has arisen and its objections have had the effect of causing school and university officials in some places to allow persons who object to immunization to opt out of the requirement. I can't explain the situation beyond that—it's just one of those U.S. things. – Sven Yargs Mar 10 '16 at 07:14

2 Answers2

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Waiver means to decline, turn down, reject, cede (as in a civil right). It merely means that you are legally stating that you do not want the vaccination.

Kaya Wilde
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This sounds like the sort of thing that one might encounter enrolling a child in school or enrolling yourself in college or some such. As I understand it, people below about 30 years of age are at increased risk of meningitis, especially in a school environment where they are close to many other students. For this reason you are "strongly encouraged" to be vaccinated against this potentially disabling or life-threatening disorder.

If you have not already been vaccinated, and you for some reason (eg, allergy to the vaccine, or religious objections) feel you cannot take the vaccine, then you may sign a "waiver" which says that you decline to take it.

Hot Licks
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  • HotLicks is being polite. I'm assuming that you and your girlfriend are leaving your home (and its bacteriome) to study outside Japan. If you're contemplating living in one of those cess pits in the US called university dormitories, you and your girlfriend should get the vaccine after your doctor finds that you're healthy enough and have no relevant allergies. Especially if you and your girlfriend want to continue kissing each other. – deadrat Mar 07 '16 at 03:24