Meningitis: A deadly disease hitting college campuses
Frankie Milley’s son Ryan was 18 years old when he died of meningitis. “The hardest thing was to walk to the cemetery, to see his name on a gravestone,” Milley says. “His name shouldn’t be on a gravestone. It should be on a wedding invitation, a birth announcement. … If he’d had that vaccine he wouldn’t be there.”
Now, many states are lobbying to make the Menactra vaccine (83 percent effective against meningitis) mandatory. Many parents are against the idea and feel that nobody should be forced to receive a vaccination. What do you think?
Let’s take a look at some facts:
According to Dr. Tom Clark of the Center for Disease Control, “It’s not unusual to hear a story of a kid not feeling well on a Friday night and going to bed, and being dead on Saturday morning.” “It happens so quickly.”
Meningitis is an infection that causes inflammation of the thin tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord, called meninges. It is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection.
Teenagers and young adults are at an increased risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis.
Studies show college students, especially freshmen living in dorms, are more vulnerable to the disease, because of lifestyle factors such as:
• Crowded living conditions
• Moving to a new residence
• Contact with students from all over the country or world
• Sharing beverages or utensils
• Lack of sleep or irregular sleep patterns
• Smoking, including secondhand smoke
The Center for Disease Control recommends young people ages 11-18 receive Menactra, a vaccination that is 83 percent effective in protecting against four strands of bacterial meningitis.
The symptoms are very similar to those of a cold or flu, and they can develop over several hours or in one to two days. For those over the age of 2, the most common symptoms are high fever, headache and stiff neck. Other symptoms include nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to light, confusion and sleepiness. As the disease progresses, a purple rash may appear and seizures can occur.
Once the bacteria has been identified, doctors can treat the disease with antibiotics. Immediate, aggressive treatment is necessary to avoid death or serious aftereffects. Because the disease progresses so quickly, treatment does not always lead to full recovery.
Whether or not a vaccine against meningitis becomes mandatory in your state, please be aware of this fatal disease and make sure your college student takes the necessary precautions.
Information provided by Melissa Dahl for msnbc.com. Read the original article in it’s entirety here.
