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NEWS
| October 13, 2004
Health
Program offers meningitis vaccinations
Health Services hopes to raise
awareness because students are at high risk.
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| The Shorthorn: Andrew Campbell |
| The Health Center is offering meningococcal
meningitis vaccinations today from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. today
for $85. |
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By Nicole
Audet
Contributor to The Shorthorn
Students and faculty will have the opportunity today to get the
meningitis vaccination in the University Center Palo Duro Lounge
from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. The shot costs $85.
Health Services’ Outreach Program aims to raise awareness
of one strain of potentially life-threatening bacterial disease-
— meningococcal meningitis. The vaccination is also available
on a walk-in basis.
Each year in the United States, there are about 3,000 meningococcal
disease cases, including 300 deaths. Of these cases, about 125 to
175 occur among college students, including 15 to 20 deaths, according
to the American College Health Association.
“We are hoping for about 200 students to receive the shot,”
said Shelli Ogburn, Health Services communication assistant. “We’re
highly recommending our students get this vaccine, seeing as the
chance of a college student getting this disease is higher than
that of the general population.”
The disease spreads in places where many people live in close quarters
— such as in college dormitories and military barracks. Many
universities in the United Kingdom and the United States require
a meningitis vaccination for freshman students.
According to the association, recent data shows students living
in dormitories, particularly freshmen, have a six fold increased
risk for the disease.
The disease is transmitted through coughing, sneezing and direct
contact with people infected with the disease.
Data suggests that certain social behaviors such as exposure to
passive and active smoking, bar patronage and excessive alcohol
consumption may increase student risk for contracting the disease,
according to the association.
“College students pass a lot of saliva. We want them to be
aware that the swap of spit leads to many infectious diseases. I
suggest people exercise caution and recommend not sharing cigarettes,
drinks or food,” said Neil Pascoe, epidemiologist at the Texas
Department of State Health Services.
Possible symptoms include fever, severe headaches, stiff neck, rash,
nausea, vomiting and lethargy.
According to the World Health Organization, even when the disease
is diagnosed early and adequate therapy instituted, 5 to 10 percent
of patients die, typically within one to two days of sympton onset.
“The idea that with this disease you could be perfectly fine
and within 24 and 48 hours be dead is very, very devastating,”
Ogburn said.
In a 1999 UTA meningitis case, a male student went to Health Services
after feeling ill. He was immediately transported to the hospital,
and the disease was treated and controlled in time, Ogburn said.
“He was very lucky that it was caught in time and that he
experienced no side effects,” she said.
The symptoms for this disease are similar to those of the flu. This
causes a problem when people begin to dismiss the symptoms as the
flu instead of getting it checked for meningitis, Pascoe said.
Health Services encourages anyone who experiences any symptoms to
go to the Health Services Center or any emergency room with no hesitation.
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