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Meningitis Vaccination for College Students

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), college freshmen who live in dormitories are more likely to suffer from meningococcal disease than those who do not because of the close living quarters dormitories create. However, vaccination, which gives immunity from the disease, is available and strongly recommended for all incoming freshmen.

  1. About Meningitis

    • College freshmen who live in dormitories are most likely to get bacterial meningitis (meningococcal meningitis) from Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. Meningitis is typically caused by bacteria or a virus and inflames membranes in the brain and spinal cord. Viral meningitis is not as much of a threat as bacterial meningitis, which can cause brain damage and even death. Bacterial meningitis can be spread through things like kissing, sharing drinks and sneezing, but not from things like breathing infected air. Symptoms of meningitis in adults include fever, headache, a stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion and tiredness. Symptoms can take as little as hours or up to two days to occur.

      Prior to 1990, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) was the most common way to get meningitis. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are the most common way to get meningitis today.

    About the Vaccination and When to Get Vaccinated

    • According to the CDC, there are two vaccinations for meningococcal meningitis in the United States. Since college freshmen are at risk for meningitis, they should receive a vaccine before they begin college. However, it is important to get the vaccination even if you are older than a college freshman and have never been vaccinated. The vaccination gives those who have it immunity from the disease. A vaccine for Hib is given to children during their routine immunizations.

    What to Do If You Have Meningitis

    • It is extremely important to see a doctor who can tell you if you have the disease early on. Antibiotics are available for those who have bacterial meningitis. According to the CDC, antibiotics reduce the risk of dying from the disease to less than 15 percent. A doctor will test you for meningitis by giving you a spinal tap--a needle takes fluid from your spinal canal in your lower back.

      People who may be infected with meningitis (people who have contact with an infected person) should also go to their doctor and get antibiotics.

    Studies on the College Population

    • According to the CDC, a study was done from in the United States from 1994 to1998, and the results showed that the number of meningitis cases in college students was lower than those who are not in college between the ages of 18 to 23. On the other hand, the number of students infected was much higher for those who lived in dormitories than those who didn't. Adversely, the number infected among college students in the United Kingdom (from 1994-1997) was less than those who were not enrolled in college. However, the United Kingdom's study also found, similar to the U.S. study, that students who lived in dormitories were at a higher risk than those who didn't live on-campus.

    States and Schools Taking Initiative

    • According to the CDC, in 1997 the American College Health Association (ACHA) suggested that college health services take initiative to educate students and parents about meningococcal disease and the risks of not being vaccinated. By 2009, laws in 34 states required that colleges educate students who are entering college and students already in college about meningitis. Laws in 15 states require vaccinations for certain students, unless a waiver is provided.

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