Students who did not get the meningitis vaccine during the summer will get another chance this Thursday. The shots will be administered from 11 am to 4 pm in the Rensselaer Union, and also during the Activities Fair from 6 to 9 pm at the Houston Field House. The cost of the vaccine is $85, which can be charged to a student’s account or a credit card.
"Every year since ’99 we have done a meningitis preventative campaign," said Katrin Wesner, Rensselaer’s health systems manager. The only difference this year is that all the freshmen are required to have the vaccine, while in the past it has been optional before.
Meningitis is a potentially fatal bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, college students are more susceptible to the disease because they live and work in close quarters.
President Jackson made the decision to mandate the vaccination after a sophomore was diagnosed with the disease last February. "The decision was also based on recommendations by professional societies," said Wesner.
According to the CDC, the vaccine will only provide protection against four out of the five strains of the disease, which cause up to 85 percent of the total meningitis cases on college campuses.
Since the requirement for the vaccine will also be effective for all the incoming freshmen in the future, Dr. Robert Athanasiou medical director of Health Services said that the campus "should be well insulated" in a few years.
He also advises the students who might be reluctant to take the shots for financial reasons to reconsider. "Many of the people who get the disease, if it is not fatal, it leaves them without their feet or their arms, things you can’t put a price on," he added.
The CDC also suggests that students should take other measures to reduce the risk of contracting the disease. Eating a balanced diet, getting adequate sleep and exercise, avoiding cigarettes and excessive use of alcohol, and avoiding the habit of sharing drinks and cigarettes are among those measures.
