Spring semester is almost over at The University of Memphis, and it is time to start registering for upcoming summer and fall classes.
However, when Jason Reynolds-Flick tried to register via Tigerweb, he got a message informing him that proof of immunization against meningitis was not on file at the Student Health Center.
As of July 1, 2003, a new rule was signed into legislation for the state of Tennessee. The law states that public and/or private post secondary institutions "shall provide information concerning meningococcal disease to all students and/or the parent or guardian of students who will be living in on-campus housing when entering the institution," under Tennessee code.
"I don't know if I've been immunized against meningitis," the freshman English major said.
Other students who have seen the message are probably wondering what can be done. One option is to get the immunization.
The shot nurse, in conjunction with the Hudson Health Center, will be available this month to administer immunizations against meningitis and other diseases.
The specific vaccine that will be used, Menactra, is an Aventis Pasteur product, and was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in January of this year. This drug, also known by its generic name, meningococcal polysaccharide (serogroups A, C, Y and W-135) diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine, is recommended for "active immunization" of patients aged 11 to 55 for the "prevention of invasive meningococcal disease," according to the product approval information sheet from the FDA.
Meningitis, according to the Center for Disease Control, is an infection of the fluid of the spinal cord and of the fluid that surrounds the brain. It can cause swelling in the tissues of those affected areas.
There are two types of infections. Viral meningitis is less severe and is often resolved without specific treatment. On the hand, bacterial meningitis infections are quite severe, usually causing brain damage, hearing loss and/or learning disabilities in patients.
It is important to know which type of bacteria caused the infection because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting others.
The most common type of bacteria, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis during the 1990s. However, vaccines given to children during this time period reduced occurrences of the disease. Today, Streptococcus pnuemoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the leading cause of bacterial meningitis.Bacterial meningitis can be treated with antibiotics, Penicillin being the most common one used. Some forms of the bacterial type are contagious and can be spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions. They are not spread by casual contact or by breathing the same air as a person with meningitis.
This disease is potentially dangerous due to being relatively rare and its symptoms are often mistaken for the flu or a minor cold, according to a message on the University's health services Web site. The message, written by Dr. Wayne Capooth, provides information about what meningitis is, signs and symptoms of the disease and information about the vaccination. The Web site can be accessed at people.memphis.edu.
Students need to be able to recognize the signs and symptoms of meningitis because recognizing them could save lives.
"I only know of one case here on campus. A student came in with signs of meningitis. Our doctor diagnosed it immediately and started the patient on antibiotics before the ambulance could get here," said Jacqueline De Fouw, health educator of the Hudson Health Services.
De Fouw said the student was rushed to The Regional Medical Center (The Med) for further treatment.
Anyone can get meningitis, especially college students who live in dormitories, infants less than one year of age and those with certain medical condition, (such as a damaged or surgically removed spleen or immune system disorder).
"I know that meningitis is a disease that infects the spinal cord," said Samantha Gibbs, sophomore anthropology major.
"I live in the dorms so I should probably get the vaccine," she said.
Here at The U of M, students are encouraged to get the vaccine to reduce their risk of infection. However, there are some students that choose not to get the vaccination.
One such student is Robin Yow, senior education major, who feels that in order for her to get the immunization, she would have to know exactly what it was for.
"I'm into 'all natural' methods of handling health problems," she said.
The meningitis vaccine has been tested and found safe for use on pregnant women.
