Clinics help prepare campus for meningitis

ALEX WOLK/Daily

Michigan visiting nurse Wilma White administers a meningitis vaccination shot to LSA freshman Nikola Liebold at the Michigan League yesterday.

By Lindsey Alpert

Daily Staff Reporter

Urging students to become inoculated against bacterial meningococcal meningitis, the University is conducting vaccination clinics for the disease.

Meningococcal meningitis is a potentially fatal infection that afflicts the brain and spinal cord coverings. The disease has not surfaced at the University in the past several years, but cases at other colleges - like one at Michigan State University last year - have put campuses on guard.

Michigan Visiting Nurses, part of the University Health System, is running five clinics in conjunction with University Health Services.

Although the last case of the bacterial form of the disease occurred on campus in 1995, the University is following the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's recommendation that incoming students be educated about the disease and the benefits of vaccination.

"I strongly encourage freshman students living in residence halls to make themselves informed about this option," said Robert Winfield, University Health Service interim director. "The disease itself is very uncommon but very serious."

Meningoccal meningitis, which can be either bacterial or viral, is spread by saliva droplets from person to person.

The vaccine does not protect against the viral form of the disease, which is less serious.

"There are certain situations, living in a dorm, heavy kissing, bar patronage and smoking that increase the risk," said Carly Wojcik, Michigan Visiting Nurses special program manager.

The health services sent out an e-mail to all undergraduate students, letters to the parents of freshmen and will send a reminder e-mail message to all freshman on campus to inform them about the clinic.

"I got the vaccine so I won't get sick," Engineering freshman Jamie Turner said. "Yes, my parents wanted me to get it too."

Students can pre-register online or over the phone for the $75 vaccination, or walk in to one of the five clinics. The first clinic took place yesterday at the Michigan League.

"Despite e-mail reminders, there were only 30 patients who showed up in the League," Winfield said. "But we are expecting better turn-out at Bursley because the target audience will be present."

Anyone that receives the vaccine must be 18 years or older or have a consent form signed by a guardian, have no allergies to latex or to thimerosal - a substance present in the shot - not be pregnant and not have started an anti-biotic regimen within the past 24 hours.

There are side effects to the vaccine, although they are not very common.

"Possible side effects are minimal redness, swelling, soreness at the site of the injection, hot flash or fever and all of that should go away in a day or so," Wojcik said. "A severe reaction would be trouble breathing, rashes or an irratic heartbeat."

The remaining clinics will take place Oct. 5 in Bursley Residence Hall from 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Oct. 9 in the Michigan Union from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., on Oct. 11 at Mary Markley Residence Hall from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and Oct. 13 in the Chemistry Building from 11 a.m.-5 p.m.

After the clinics, UHS will still offer the vaccine at the lower $75 price throughout the year.