Chapter 10
“The Princeton Outbreak”
A Case Study of a University Health Crisis and Implications for Communicating Science
Book Editor(s):H. Dan O'Hair,
Mary John O'Hair,
First published: 25 November 2022
Summary
This chapter explores the meningitis B outbreak at Princeton University in 2013 and 2014. Drawing upon interviews with 12 university and community leaders who played a prominent role in the crisis response, along with other artifacts related to the public health crisis, we describe key dimensions of the response and implications for communicating science related to infectious disease during times of crisis.
References
- Albert , D. , Chein , J. , & Steinberg , L. ( 2013 ). Peer influences on adolescent decision making . Current Directions in Psychological Science , 22 , 114 – 120 . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0963721412471347
- Associated Press . ( 2013a , November 19). Princeton to use unapproved meningitis vaccine on campus . The Daily Targum . https://issuu.com/targum_editor/docs/dt_11-19_d87240613d63cb
- Associated Press . ( 2013b , November 22). In brief . The Daily Targum . https://issuu.com/targum_editor/docs/dt_11_22
- Atteberry , E. & Marklein , M. B. ( 2013 , November 19). CDC: Princeton meningitis outbreak “unlikely” to spread . USA TODAY . https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/19/meningitis-outbreak-vaccine-princeton/3641637
- Bataille , G. M. , Billings , M. S. , & Nellum , C. J. ( 2012 ). Leadership in Times of Crisis: “Cool Head, Warm Heart” . American Council on Education .
- Bray , B. , France , B. , & Gilbert , J. K. ( 2012 ). Identifying the essential elements of effective science communication: What do the experts say? International Journal of Science Education , 2 , 23 – 44 . https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2011.611627
10.1080/21548455.2011.611627 Google Scholar
- Brechwald , W. A. , & Prinstein , M. J. ( 2011 ). Beyond homophily: A decade of advances in understanding peer influence processes . Journal of Research on Adolescence , 21 , 166 – 179 . https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1532-7795.2010.00721.x
- Brennan , J. A. , & Stern , E. K. ( 2017 ). Leading a campus through crisis: The role of college and university presidents . Journal of Education Advancement and Marketing , 2 ( 2 ), 120 – 134 .
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . ( 2019 , August 6). Bacterial meningitis . CDC . https://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/bacterial.html
- Coombs , W. T. , & Holladay , J. S. ( 2012 ). The paracrisis: The challenges created by publicly managing crisis prevention . Public Relations Review , 38 ( 3 ), 408 – 415 . https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pubrev.2012.04.004
- D'Auria , G. , & De Smet , A. ( 2020 ). Leadership in a crisis: Responding to the Coronavirus outbreak and future challenges . McKinsey & Company .
- Dennis , B. ( 2013 , December 3). Meningitis outbreaks at Princeton, UC Santa Barbara prompt concern, vaccine efforts . Washington Post . https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/meningitis-outbreaks-at-princeton-uc-santa-barbara-prompt-concern-vaccine-efforts/2013/12/03/1f8ed938-5c68-11e3-bc56-c6ca94801fac_story.html
- Ebneyamini , S. , & Moghadam , S. ( 2018 ). Toward developing a framework for conducting case study research . International Journal of Qualitative Methods , 17 ( 1 ), 1 – 11 . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1609406918817954
- Gigliotti , R. A. ( 2016 ). Leader as performer; leader as human: A post-crisis discursive construction of leadership . Atlantic Journal of Communication , 24 ( 4 ), 185 – 200 . https://doi.org/10.1080/15456870.2016.1208660
10.1080/15456870.2016.1208660 Google Scholar
- Gigliotti , R. A. ( 2019 ). Crisis leadership in higher education: Theory and practice . Rutgers University Press .
10.2307/j.ctvscxrr0 Google Scholar
- Gigliotti , R. A. ( 2020 ). The perception of crisis, the existence of crisis: Navigating the social construction of crisis . Journal of Applied Communication Research , 48 ( 5 ), 558 – 576 . https://doi.org/10.1080/00909882.2020.1820553
- Gigliotti , R. A. ( 2021 ). The impact of COVID-19 on academic department chairs: Heightened complexity, accentuated liminality, and competing perceptions of reinvention . Innovative Higher Education , 46 , 429 – 444 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s10755-021-09545-x
- Grint , K. ( 2005 ). Problems, problems, problems: The social construction of leadership . Human Relations , 58 ( 11 ), 1467 – 1494 . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F0018726705061314
- Harvard University Health Services Statement on Meningitis on the Princeton Campus . ( 2013 , November 20). Harvard University Health Services statement on meningitis on the Princeton campus . Harvard University Football. https://gocrimson.com/news/2013/11/20/11_20_2013_1151
- Hayes , A. ( 2014 , March 18). Philadelphia meningitis death tied to Princeton outbreak . CNN . https://www.cnn.com/2014/03/18/health/drexel-meningitis-death/index.html
- Izzo , R. ( 2017 , May) Meningitis and Public Health Emergencies . [PowerPoint presentation]. Public Health Emergency Updates, George Mason University , Fairfax, VA .
- Jaslow , R. ( 2014 , March 18). Meningitis strain from Princeton University outbreak kills Drexel student . CBS News . https://www.cbsnews.com/news/meningitis-strain-from-princeton-university-outbreak-kills-drexel-student
- Kappel , K. , & Holmen , S. J. ( 2019 ). Why science communication, and does it work? A taxonomy of science communication aims and a survey of the empirical evidence . Frontiers in Communication , 4 , 1 – 12 . https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomm.2019.00055
10.3389/fcomm.2019.00055 Google Scholar
- Kyungchan Min , C. & Howry , D. ( 2014 , December 8). Anatomy of an outbreak . The Daily Princetonian . https://www.dailyprincetonian.com/article/2013/12/meningitis-outbreak-timeline
- Landau , E. ( 2013 , November 22). 8th case of meningitis confirmed at Princeton . CNN . https://www.cnn.com/2013/11/22/health/princeton-meningitis/index.html
- Levenson , E. ( 2013 , November 22). Princeton's meningitis outbreak shows no signs of slowing down . The Atlantic . https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/11/princetons-meningitis-outbreak-shows-no-signs-slowing-down/355437
- Lindsey , B. J. ( 1997 ). Peer education: A viewpoint and critique . Journal of American College Health , 45 , 187 – 189 . https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.1997.9936882
- Livio , S. ( 2013 , November 16). Princeton University meningitis infections prompt CDC to import emergency vaccinations for use on campus . NJ.com . https://www.nj.com/mercer/2013/11/princeton_university_meningitis_outbreak_prompts_cdc_to_consider_emergency_vaccinations.html
- Mitroff , I. I. , Diamond , M. A. , & Alpaslan , C. M. ( 2006 ). How prepared are America's colleges and universities for major crisis? Change. The Magazine of Higher Learning , 38 , 61 – 67 .
10.3200/CHNG.38.1.61-67 Google Scholar
- National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine . ( 2017a ). Building Communication Capacity to Counter Infectious Disease Threats: Proceedings of a Workshop . National Academies Press .
- Office of Communications . ( 2015 , March 13). No increased meningitis B risk at Princeton . Princeton University . https://www.princeton.edu/news/2015/03/13/no-increased-meningitis-b-risk-princeton
- Office of the Surgeon General . ( 2021 ). Confronting Health Misinformation: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on Building a Healthy Information Environment . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, Office of the Surgeon General.
- Offredo , J. ( 2013 , September 20). “Mine. Not Yours”: Princeton University hands out red cups to curb meningitis, promote safe drinking . NJ.com . https://www.nj.com/mercer/2013/09/mine_not_yours_princeton_university_hands_out_red_cups_to_curb_meningitis_promote_safe_drinking.html
- H. D. O'Hair , & M. J. O'Hair (Eds.) ( 2021 ). Communicating science in times of crisis: The COVID-19 pandemic . Wiley-Blackwell .
10.1002/9781119751809 Google Scholar
- Parkin , S. , & McKeganey , N. ( 2000 ). The rise and rise of peer education approaches . Drugs: Education, Prevention, and Policy. , 7 , 293 – 310 . https://doi.org/10.1080/09687630050109961
- Petosa , R. L. , & Smith , L. H. ( 2014 ). Peer mentoring for health behavior change: A systematic review . American Journal of Health Education , 45 , 351 – 357 . https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2014.945670
10.1080/19325037.2014.945670 Google Scholar
- Posavac , E. , Kattapong , K. R. , & Dew , D. E. ( 1999 ). Peer-based interventions to influence health-related behaviors and attitudes: A meta-analysis . Psychological Reports , 85 , 1179 – 1194 . https://doi.org/10.2466%2Fpr0.1999.85.3f.1179
- Princeton University News . (n.d.). All News . Princeton University . https://www.princeton.edu/news?search=meningitis&category=All
- Schive , K. ( 2013 , November 13). MIT responds to meningococcal meningitis outbreak at Princeton University . MIT Medical News . https://medical.mit.edu/news/2014/12/mit-responds-to-meningococcal-meningitis-outbreak-princeton-university
- Scrimshaw , S. C. ( 2019 ). Science, health, and cultural literacy in a rapidly changing communications landscape . Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences , 116 , 7650 – 7655 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1807218116
- Sellnow , T. L. , & Seeger , M. W. ( 2013 ). Theorizing crisis communication . Wiley Blackwell .
- Singh , M. ( 2013 , November 19). Why college campuses get hit by meningitis outbreaks . NPR . https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/11/19/246178160/why-college-campuses-get-hit-by-meningitis-outbreaks
- Spitzer , S. ( 2018 , April 20). Five principles of science communication . Social Science Space . https://www.socialsciencespace.com/2018/04/five-principles-of-science-communication
- Student Health Advisory Board . ( 2013 , December 3). Student work: ‘Princeton Against Meningitis’ [Video]. Princeton University . https://www.princeton.edu/news/2013/12/03/student-work-princeton-against-meningitis
- Student Health Advisory Board Members Princeton . ( 2013 , October 8). CUPS: Meningitis Prevention (Courtesy of Princeton's SHAB) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0adxcfrFuaE
- Weingold , M. F. ( 2001 ). Communicating science: A review of the literature . Science Communication , 23 , 164 – 193 . https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1075547001023002005
- White , S. ( 1994 ). An overview of a peer health education program at a student health service . Peer Facilitator Quarterly , 11 , 24 – 28 .
- White , S. , Park , Y. S. , Israel , T. , & Cordero , E. D. ( 2009 ). Longitudinal evaluation of peer health education on a college campus: Impact on health behaviors . Journal of American College Health , 57 , 497 – 506 . https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.5.497-506
- Yee , V. ( 2013 , November 17). Princeton University considers use of foreign meningitis vaccine . The New York Times . https://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/18/nyregion/princeton-university-considers-use-of-foreign-meningitis-vaccine.html
- Yin , R. ( 2009 ). Case study research: Design and methods ( 4th ed. ). SAGE .
