Meningitis vaccine saves lives, is not required

Meningitis, page 1 dents are required to get the vaccination but can voluntarily decide not to be vaccinated. So many people are getting the vaccination that a shortage of the vaccine has occurred, according to the Aug. 19 issue of Insidehighered .com.

However, protection against meningitis is available at Cabrini.

Susan Fitzgerald, the health services coordinator, sent letters out to all the students who signed the meningitis waiver. Fitzgerald is willing to order the vaccine for any student who wants to protect him or herself against this deadly disease.

According to Fitzgerald, in this year's incoming freshmen class, 418 students out of 531 got the meningitis vaccination before coming to college. Freshmen are sent a waiver for_the meningitis ( meningococcal) vaccination.

Students who did not get the vaccination offered a variety of reasons for not getting it. Many students don't like shots, don't see the seriousness of meningitis or simply don't have time to worry about it.

Freshman Ashley Paulus, a marketing major, never got the meningitis vaccination. Paulus said, "I was so worried about making my decision on what college I should go to that I didn't make getting the vaccination a priority on my list. I know that I should get it, and I plan to do so."

Ryan Gallagher, a sophomore business major, remembers his experience with trying to get the meningitis vaccination as a freshman. Gallagher said, "My doctor at home said he could not get the vaccination for me. When I arrived at school, I immediately

Bacterial meningitis

Medical experts recommend vaccinating young adults against meningococcal disease, a bacterial infection that can lead to meningitis.

What is meningitis? " Spinal cord

Inflammation of the meninges, membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord

Spinal cord

Bacterial meningitis usually requires hospitalization

The above chart explains how quickly the meningitus bacteria can travel through a human·ssystem via the spinal cord. ' went to the nurse and she did every year. Ten percent of those order it. However, I had to wait a infected die. Even if meningitis couple of weeks for the shot to does not kill the infected person, arrive." it can still leave permanent dam-

It is sometimes hard to suspect age. One in five survivors suffer meningitis because its symptoms long term problems, such as can be mistaken for the flu. hearing loss and brain damage. Symptoms include a stiff neck, Annually, there are between headache, fever, vomiting and 100 and 125 cases of meningitis joint pain. If anyone believes that on campuses that result in five to they may be infected with menin- 15 deaths. gitis, they should immediately go their doctor and those who don't want it may just have a fear of getting shots."

Meningitis is extremely fatal to the doctors or the emergency because it can kill the person room. infected in 48 hours or less.

The only fear students should have is contracting meningitis. Sophomore Christina Siderio, an elementary education major, expressed how happy she is to be vaccinated. Siderio said, "The main reason I got the vaccination against meningitis was because my grandfather had meningitis and almost died. I saw first hand how deadly the disease was and I feel safe because I got the vaccination." This is an example of how a simple -vaccination will leave students worry free.

To get vaccinated, students can go to health services and order the meningitis vaccine. It is $100 per dose; a receipt will be given to the student, so he or she can submit it for reimbursement from their insurance company. Students can pay by cash, check, or it can be credited to their student account. After the orders are submitted, students can expect to receive the vaccination about a week later.

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Meningitis is highly common

It is highly important that among college students because it freshmen become vaccinated is spread by coughing, sneezing, against meningitis. Up to 83 perkissing and sharing cups. Usual- cent of meningitis cases among ly outbreaks of meningitis occur college students could have been in crowded areas, for instance, prevented if they had received colleges. A college freshman liv- the vaccination. ing on-campus has a six-times Fitzgerald believes that there greater chance of getting menin- are many reasons college freshgitis then a student living off- men sign.the meningitis waiver. campus. She said, "The meningitis vac-

Meningitis is not to be taken cine is very expensive and also in lightly. This disease infects shortage. Many students who approximately 3000 Americans want it cannot receive it from