Meningitis Vaccine Advised for College Kids

By Leslie Lang

NEW YORK (Reuters) -- College students are advised by the American College Health Association (ACHA) to get vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis, a potentially fatal bacterial infection of the brain and spinal cord.

Outbreaks of the infection in the U.S. have risen sharply since 1992, and are common in confined environments such as college dorms. In a statement released this week, the group urges student health centers to alert students to the disease, and to provide an on-campus vaccination program.

"This is the first time the association is recommending that college students consider getting vaccinated against meningococcal disease, rather than do so during an outbreak on campus." said Dr. MarJeanne Collins, director of student health services at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia and chair of the ACHA's Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Task Force. "This is a departure from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), which does not make a recommendation that all college students get meningococcal vaccine," she added.

ACHA officials say the incidence of meningococcal meningitis outbreaks have risen sharply -- 36 outbreaks since 1992, compared with only 13 between 1981 and 1993. More than one third of these outbreaks occurred in schools, universities, or other organizational-based settings, the ACHA notes.

Meningococcal meningitis causes inflammation of the membrane surrounding the brain and spinal cord. It strikes about 2,600 people in the United States each year, leading to death in about 13% of cases, or more than 300 deaths annually.

The disease is transmitted through the air via sneezing or coughing and direct contact with infected persons. Because college students live in close quarters such as dormitories, they are at increased risk for the disease. Meningitis outbreaks tend to peak in late winter and early spring.

"All of us who work in college health live with the fear of a phone call reporting meningococcal meningitis or the death of a student was well just a few hours before," said Collins.

Symptoms associated with meningococcal meningitis may include fever, severe headache, stiff neck, rash, nausea, vomiting, or lethargy. Because the disease progresses rapidly, Collins and her ACHA task force urge students who experience two or more of these symptoms concurrently to go to their campus health director or to an emergency room immediately.

Vaccination confers protection against the most common strains of the disease -- known as serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. ACHA officials note that serotype C has been frequently involved in college outbreaks over the past several years. The vaccine is effective for three to five years, Collins said.