Meningitis vaccine clinics offered to students

Meningitis vaccine clinics offered to students

ANN ARBOR—The University of Michigan is making a proactive effort to offer vaccinations against meningococcal meningitis to U-M students this fall, as recommended by federal guidelines.

“Though we see no cause for concern about meningococcal meningitis at the U-M at this time, and the University does not specifically recommend that students be vaccinated against the disease, we hope these clinics will make it easier for students to seek information or vaccination if they choose,” said University Health Service (UHS) interim director Robert Winfield, M.D.

UHS, in conjunction with Michigan Visiting Nurses (MVN), part of the U-M Health System, will be offering five clinics at various campus locations during October. A notification letter was sent to parents of all incoming students last week, indicating that students or their parents can pre-register and pre-pay via phone or the Internet for the $75 vaccination.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend that incoming college students be educated about meningococcal meningitis and the benefits of vaccination. The recommendation is based on recent isolated outbreaks of the disease on college campuses, where residence hall living can make transmission easier.

Meningococcal meningitis is a potentially fatal infection unless treated with antibiotics and other therapies in a timely fashion. Its early symptoms often mimic the flu, so Winfield emphasizes that it is important for students seek medical care if two or more of these symptoms occur together: high fever, rash, nausea or vomiting, severe headache, neck stiffness, lethargy and sensitivity to light. Both the UHS and the U-M hospital emergency room are prepared to help students with such symptoms.

The single-dose vaccine being offered at the special clinics and at UHS protects against the four types of the meningococcus bacteria that cause 70 percent to 80 percent of the meningococcal meningitis disease in the United States. It does not protect against the viral form of the disease, which has similar symptoms but is far less serious. No cases of meningococcal disease have occurred on campus since 1995.

Clinics will be held at the following locations and times on the U-M campus:Michigan League, Vandenburg Room, Oct. 2, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.Bursley Residence Hall, Lobby, Oct. 5, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.Michigan Union, Anderson Rooms A,B,C, and D, Oct. 9, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.Mary Markley Dormitory, South Lounge, Oct. 11, 9 a.m.-5 p.m.Chemistry Building, 2nd Floor Room 2000, Oct. 13, 11a.m.-5p.m.

No appointment is necessary. To pre-register, students or parents should contact Michigan Visiting Nurses at (888) 547-7295 (toll free), or [email protected]. Students under 18 must bring a consent form signed by a parent or legal guardian. More information is available from the UHS meningitis hotline, (734) 615-5800, or its Web site, www.uhs.umich.edu/uhs/whatsup/meningitis.html.

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University Health ServiceMichigan Visiting NursesCenters for Disease Control and Preventionwww.uhs.umich.edu/uhs/whatsup/meningitis.htmlNews and Information ServicesUniversity of Michigan