Meningitis

When you’re about to graduate high school, your health is not the top of your list. Thinking about college, living in the dormitories, and financial aid, vaccines may just slip your mind. Meningitis is a very serious disease that can be prevented with a simple vaccine. According to PubMed Health, “Meningitis is a bacterial infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (meninges).” Meningitis can be caused by many different instances and sometimes can become deadly it depends on the type and severity of the illness. “Meningitis may develop in response to a number of causes, usually bacteria or viruses, but meningitis can also be caused by physical injury, cancer or certain drugs” (CDC).

By not completing the childhood immunizations, it highly increases an individual’s chance of being diagnosed with meningitis. On average, 1,500 Americans are infected with meningitis annually and of those infected 11% will die (NMA). Individuals who are at the highest risk are pre-teens and adolescents, college freshman, and travelers. According to the National Meningitis Association, “…approximately 20 percent suffer long-term consequences, such as brain damage, kidney disease, hearing loss or limb amputations” (NMA) It is such a serious disease that it is now mandatory for most colleges to be vaccinated before staring classes. “As of 2009, a total of 34 states have adopted legislation requiring colleges to provide information on risks of meningococcal disease to incoming students and / or students residing on campus, and 15 states have mandated vaccination for certain students, unless a vaccination waiver is provided” (NMA). It is important to understand that being vaccinated does not prevent meningitis; it just helps protect and reduce the chances of being infected.

Meningitis has many signs and symptoms that come upon a person very quickly. Many individuals who are infected with meningitis believe it’s the flu because of the flu like symptoms. These signs and symptoms include fever, headache, stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, and sometime death. High school seniors thinking about going to college should be positive they have their meningitis vaccination. “As children reach their pre-teen and adolescent years, protection provided by some childhood vaccines can begin to wear off” (CDC). It is important to be vaccinated against meningitis not only because the vaccines begin to wear off as you age but also because of the way it can be transmitted. It is said that of the all the U.S. cases, 15 percent are adolescents and young adults (NMA). Meningitis cannot be spread from person to person and doesn’t spread as quickly as a cold. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, it can be spread through fecal materials like not properly washing your hands in the restrooms and diaper changes, and also through salvia, coughing, or kissing (CDC).

Meningitis. PubMed Health. Retrieved on January 20, 2012 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth. 

Meningitis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved on January 21, 2012 from http://www.cdc.gov/meningitis/index.html.

Overview. National Meningitis Association. Retrieved on January 25, 2012 from http://www.nmaus.org/meningitis/.