Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine, Menactra, that protects against four types of bacteria that cause meningitis - including Neisseria meningitides. It will be available in about a month. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended this month that the vaccine be given to 11- and 12-year-olds, teens entering high school at age 15, and first-year college students living in dorms. The Salt Lake Valley Health Department offers another vaccine for $60 a shot. The new drug, however, lasts for seven years, about four years longer than the current vaccine. "We've been giving them for a number of years," said spokeswoman Pam Davenport. "The vaccine also is recommended for adults who don't have a spleen or are HIV positive." Davenport doesn't know yet how much Menactra will cost, but said it likely will be more expensive than the current drug. So far, worried parents have not deluged the health department with questions, she said. The National Meningitis Association (NMA) supports immunizing the target group. "Research shows adolescents and young adults are at increased risk for meningococcal disease and more likely to die as a result of the disease than younger children or older adults," said Lynn Bozof, NMA executive director. "Once parents are made aware there is a vaccine to help prevent meningococcal disease . . . we hope they will consider immunization." - Carey Hamilton