BOG considers mandatory meningitis vaccine

Following the lead of USF, the board in charge of Florida's 11 public universities next week will consider a new policy that requires all incoming students to get vaccinated against the potentially deadly meningitis vaccine - or at least sign an opt-out waiver that ensures they have been educated about the health risks of meningitis.

USF already established a similar requirement, a response to the death this past fall of a USF sorority member. Previously, only students living in dorms had to be vaccinated or sign the opt-out form. And USF officials conceded that prior to the student's death, their enforcement of the housing rule was lax.

College students are at higher risk for meningitis than the general population because they tend to live in close quarters, sharing drinks and engaging in other risk factors.

The Board of Governors meets next Wednesday and Thursday in Tallahassee to consider the requirement, which would also include the Hepatitis B vaccine.

Comments

[Frankie Milley]

Too many kids, teens and young adults are left debilitated or die from this vaccine preventable disease.
I am the mother of an only child, Ryan, who died from meningitis and the founder and national director of Meningitis Angels, a national orgainzation at
www.meningitis-angels.org.

According to ACIP/CDC children ages 11 years through college freshmen should be vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. However be informed, there are (5) serogroups of the disease, all serogroups groups are not covered. However the most common in the United States among adolescents and college students is serogroup C, which is.

What is meningitis?
Meningitis is a dangerous and sometimes fatal inflammation of the brain and/or spinal cord that can leave survivors with serious life-long physical problems such as, organ failure, blindness, deafness, loss of limbs, severe seizures, brain damage and other disabilities.
You should also understand meningococcemia and sepsis.

Signs and Symptoms
Do you know the early signs of meningitis and blood poisoning which could improve detection of the disease and save lives?
Unrelenting fever, leg pain, cold hands and feet and abnormal skin color can develop within (12 hours) after infection long before the more classic signs of the illness such as a rash, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light and impaired consciousness, debilitation or death. Anyone can get meningitis especially infants, children and teens.

What parents and students should know:
Infants and toddlers should be vaccinated against pneumococcal meningitis.
Those children in daycare and those of American Indian and African American heritage are at a higher risk for pneumococcal meningitis.
There is no vaccine to prevent viral meningitis.
Frankie Milley, Meningitis Angels, Founder/National Director.
Ryan's Mom