College students are at high risk for meningitis
Utah State University Student Health Services will be offering an immunization clinic Thursday to help educate students about bacterial meningitis and provide vaccinations against the disease.
The decision to organize an immunization clinic came in part because of a recent study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that certain college students, particularly freshman living in dormitories and residence halls, have a sixfold increased risk for meningitis, said Cherice Flitton, a senior majoring in public health education.
“People who live in close quarters, like college students, are at increased risk because of the close contact,” said Dr. Jim Davis, director of Student Health Services at USU.
Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through droplets and by direct contact with an infected person, so proper hygiene is an important part of prevention, Flitton said.
“It’s a respiratory disease, so it is spread though sneezing, coughing, touching – the exact same way you spread the flu,” Flitton said.
Cases of meningitis among teens and young adults 15 to 24 years of age have more than doubled since 1991. The disease strikes about 3,000 Americans each year and claims around 300 lives.
Symptoms of the disease include high fever, severe headache, stiff neck, confusion, nausea, exhaustion and/or a rash, according to the American College Health Association Web site at www.acha.org.
“Meningococcal meningitis is a rare but potentially fatal disease with early symptoms that resemble the flu, making diagnosis difficult,” said Dr. John Bailey, director of the Bear River Health Department. “If not treated early, meningitis can lead to swelling of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal column, as well as severe and permanent disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, seizures, limb amputation and even death.”
Davis said parents and students should be aware of the relative risks of meningitis on a college campus and which a vaccine is available that could help prevent the disease.
“It’s treatable and preventable, but it can be devastating if not treated properly,” Davis said.
Now it is routine for children to be immunized against meningitis, Davis said, but students attending college were never given the opportunity because the vaccine was not available years ago.
The clinic will be held in the Health Center located in the Taggart Student Center, Room 102, where immunization for bacterial meningitis will be offered to students at the cost of the vaccine.