[at-l] Off Topic---

[lwbooher@halifax.com (Leslie Booher)]

Thanks.  This was just the kind of thing I was looking for.  I love you =
guys!  Y'all are the best.  anklebear
    -----Original Message-----
    From: WHHAWKINS@aol.com <WHHAWKINS@aol.com>
    To: lwbooher@halifax.com <lwbooher@halifax.com>; =
at-l@mailman.backcountry.net <at-l@mailman.backcountry.net>
    Date: Thursday, March 29, 2001 9:18 PM
    Subject: Re: [at-l] Off Topic---
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    In a message dated 3/29/2001 8:56:31 PM Eastern Standard Time,=20
    lwbooher@halifax.com writes:=20
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        The only reason I'm asking this on this list is that there are =
several=20
        medical personnel on the list and there are people of vast =
experience in=20
        areas in which I have none.  To wit, our daughter's college sent =
out a=20
        letter saying that they feel so strongly that the students =
should have a=20
        bacterial meningitis vaccination that they are having a clinic =
one day soon=20
        to give the shots to the students.  Supposedly, they defend =
against all but=20
        one strain of the bacterial meningitis.  What are the side =
effects?  Do they=20
        off-set the protection?  Should we ask her to get the shot?  =
Interestingly,=20
        the school is really wanting all freshmen to get the shot but =
any=20
        upperclassmen who want it may get it also.  Maggie's a =
sophomore, but she's=20
        planning a jr. yr. abroad trip to Ireland this Fall.  Would that =
give her=20
        more reason to get the shot?=20
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        Before she went there, the school recommended that all students =
get=20
        anti-tick vaccines, but, after reading all the possible =
life-long side=20
        effects, we all decided against it.  So far, that has been a =
good decision.=20
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        Where can I go to read about this online?  I'm not good with =
search engines.=20
        I'm sure somebody somewhere out there has something about this =
online.=20
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        Thanks to all---=20
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        anklebear=20
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    Here is some information I found. Here in Florida there has been =
about 6=20
    case's of meningitis in the last few month's.=20
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    Wildbill=20
    Meningococcal Disease among College Students=20
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    Additional Information=20
    =E2=80=A2 Meningococcal Disease - General Information=20
    =E2=80=A2 Meningococcal Disease - Technical Information=20
    =E2=80=A2 Meningococcal Disease - Additional Reading=20
    =E2=80=A2 Laboratory Methods for the Diagnosis of Meningitis - =
Manual=20
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    PRESS RELEASE: October 20, 1999=20
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    Contact: (404) 639-3286 ACIP Modifies Recommendations for Meningitis =

    Vaccination The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) =
has=20
    modified its guidelines for use of the polysaccharide meningococcal =
vaccine=20
    to prevent bacterial meningitis, particularly for college freshmen =
who live=20
    in dormitories, a group found to be at a modestly increased risk of=20
    meningococcal disease relative to other persons their age. At its =
October 20=20
    meeting, the ACIP, citing results of two CDC studies done in 1998 =
which=20
    identified the slightly higher risk among freshman dormitory =
residents,=20
    recommended that those who provide medical care to this group give=20
    information to students and their parents about meningococcal =
disease and the=20
    benefits of vaccination. Vaccination should be provided or made =
easily=20
    available to those freshmen who wish to reduce their risk of =
disease. Other=20
    undergraduate students wishing to reduce their risk of meningococcal =
disease=20
    can also choose to be vaccinated. The currently available vaccine =
protects=20
    against some types (serogroups) of the bacterium Neisseria =
meningitidis (also=20
    called meningococcus), an important cause of bacterial meningitis =
and sepsis=20
    in children and young adults in the United States. A single dose of =
the=20
    vaccine is recommended, and vaccination will decrease the risk of =
disease=20
    caused by N. meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. However, =
vaccination=20
    will not totally eliminate risk of the disease because the vaccine =
does not=20
    protect against serogroup B and because, although it is highly =
effective=20
    against serogroups C and Y, it still does not confer 100% protection =
against=20
    these serogroups. In 1998-1999, serogroups C and Y caused about 70% =
of cases=20
    among college students. Approximately 3,000 cases of meningococcal =
disease=20
    occur each year in the United States, and 10%-13% of patients die =
despite=20
    receiving antibiotics early in the illness. Of those who survive, an =

    additional 10% have severe aftereffects of the disease, including =
mental=20
    retardation, hearing loss and loss of limbs. On September 30, 1997, =
the=20
    American College Health Association (ACHA), which represents about =
one-half=20
    of colleges with student health services in the United States, =
released a=20
    statement recommending that "college health services [take] a more =
proactive=20
    role in alerting students and their parents about the dangers of=20
    meningococcal disease" and that "college students consider =
vaccination=20
    against potentially fatal meningococcal disease." In early 1998, =
CDC, in=20
    collaboration with the Council of State and Territorial =
Epidemiologists=20
    (CSTE) and ACHA=E2=80=99s Vaccine Preventable Disease Task Force, =
initiated two=20
    studies to better define the risk of meningococcal disease =
associated with=20
    college campuses. Both studies indicated that freshmen college =
students,=20
    particularly those who live in dormitories, constitute a group at a =
modestly=20
    increased risk for meningococcal disease. More information on =
meningococcal=20
    disease, its symptoms, and the vaccine is available on the CDC =
website,=20
    http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo and the American College =
Health=20
    Association. http://www.acha.org/special-prj/men/faq.htm=20
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    Bacterial Meningitis in Children - The Daily Apple=20
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    Sign Up To Receive Free Email On Infectious Diseases...plus hundreds =
of=20
    other medical and health related topics!=20
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