New York state will soon require all students in the 7th and 12th grades to be vaccinated against meningitis.

The mandate is one of several new laws signed by Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo this week.

More than 20 states already require the shot as part of standard immunizations.

More than 1,000 people contract the disease each year in the U.S., with between 10 and 15 percent of them dying from the disease. Survivors can suffer hearing loss or limb amputation.

Many public health advocates supported the push for the mandate, which was opposed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and others who question the safety of vaccines.

(AP)