Immunization Newsbriefs (c) Copyright Information Inc.,
Bethesda, MD. Brought to you by the National Network for
Immunization Information (NNii). Visit NNii's new website at
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August 14, 2002
U.S. IMMUNIZATION NEWS
"States Push Meningitis Vaccination"
Associated Press ( www.ap.org ) (08/14/02); Neergaard, Lauran
Meningococcal meningitis affects nearly 3,000 Americans every
year, taking the lives of about 300 and leaving another 450 with
permanent disabilities including amputated limbs, deafness, or
brain injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention (CDC), college freshmen living in dormitories are at
significantly higher risk for the contagious bacterial infection
of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. As a
result, the CDC began recommending that incoming college students
be informed about the vaccine, which is very safe and 85 percent
effective. Some states are now requiring that students moving
into campus get vaccinated or sign a waiver stating they have an
objection to the vaccine, while other states require that
students be informed of the risk of meningitis.
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PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED AS REFLECTING THE KNOWLEDGE OR OPINIONS
OF THE PUBLISHER, AND IS NOT TO BE CONSTRUED OR INTENDED AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR
LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND
COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH
YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.