A measles epidemic holdsthe students captive until... The ShotHeard 'Round The World

A sorethroat,headacheandaslightfeverwerecommon occurrences •**•among Libertystudents They werenoproblem untilthefevergot a little higherandthethroatalittle sorer When arashdeveloped, you were thenextvictim oftheLU measlesepidemic.

Startingin Augustatfreshman orientation,rubeolaspreadthroughout thecampus. Theviruswaspassed through therespiratory systemand was extremelycontagious

Measles isnotgenerally aproblem on college campuses. In 1985, Miami Universityexperiencedan epidemic involving 120cases In 1986, Lynchburg had a measles epidemic Themeasles wasLiberty'sfirstepidemic since its beginning in 1971.

Health Services saw thefirst caseofmeaslesonthemorningof Sept 5,1988 However,it didnot identifytheillness asmeasles until Wednesday,Sept.7,when the rashbrokeout By Sunday, Sept 11,therewere40casesofmeasles oncampus.

The campus was placed under quarantine from Sept 9 toSept 11. Unlessastudentcould prove his vaccination, he was notallowedoffcampus and rubella) shot. Faculty andstaffmembers undertheageof35 were alsoasked toreport in.

Ifastudenthadneverbeen vaccinatedorhadreceivedhisshotbefore turning 15months old, hewasrequired to have it.

In anefforttomake sure theentirecampus was vaccinated, classes were closed tostudentswho didnot have proofoftheir vaccination Closeto50peopleworked withHealthServicestofightthe epidemic, includingRAs andstudentworkers. Most oftheHealth Services staff worked on a voluntary basis through theweekend Dr Gregg Albers, director of Health Services,worked around theclockto stopthespread ofthe disease

Freshman Opal Tribblewas one ofthefirsttogetthemeasles One day,shewas tired, coughing and dizzy The following day,her facewasitchyandcovered witha rash. Shehadreceivedhervaccination when shewasfive; but, as Albers explained, the vaccineis only 95 percent effective. Tribble'scase lastedthreedays. "My facewascompletely red I didn'twant toseeanyone orhave them see me."

Health Services, in conjunction with theLynchburg Health Department administered overlOOOmeasles vaccinationsinathree-dayperiod. Each shotcostaround $20andwaspaid forbyHealth Services.Studentsin the Nursing program helped administering the shots.

Inaddition, every studentwas required toreporttotheMulti-purpose centeron Saturday,Septr10 TherehehadtoverifythedateofhisrubeolaorMR R (Measles,mumps

Because the outbreak began during orientation, mostly freshmen were infectedwith themeasles However, theepidemicaffected every person insome way. Thesoccergame againstVanderbilt Uni-

Student feelings about the measles vaccinations were varied from apathy to terror. Studentreactions to the Saturday morning vaccination marathon were equally varied. JeanneWinters layon thefloorafterpassingoutsoonaftershereceivedhervaccinationshot.

Fear grips the face of Tanya Roy as she is vaccinated on the morning of Sept. 10,1988. Students who received the shotsdescribedthem asmildly uncomfortable to "down right painful."One girlwho criedthroughhershotsaidthepainwas mostlyapreconceivedbelief