Beginning this semester all incoming freshmen and students residing on campus were be required to have a vaccination against the meningococcal disease.
The new enrollment requirement follows the recently-implemented Acts 251 and 711 of the 2006 Regular Session of the Louisiana Legislature, which require all students in Louisiana to provide documentation with proof of vaccination against meningitis. The acts, signed by Gov. Kathleen Blanco on June 22, became effective Aug. 15, just before the beginning of the fall semester.
“We were provided with guidelines as to how long we’d have (to prepare),” Vice President of Student Affairs and Associate Provost Marcia Petty, Ph.D., said. “At first, students were to be immunized immediately or not allowed on campus. If we were to run short (of the vaccine), which we did, we’d have more time. We’re in good shape now.”
According to Student Health Services Health Director Cathy Guidry, Student Health received a “fairly good response” from the incoming 555 freshmen. “We administered 55 (vaccinations) during the orientation in August,” Guidry said. Student Health has administered an additional 78 vaccinations since Aug. 28, Guidry said.
Under the new law, Loyola is now required to maintain a meningitis immunization record and response receipt from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s “Meningoccocal Vaccines: What You Need To Know” fact sheet. All other area universities, including Tulane University and the University of New Orleans, are following similar procedures.
Because of the close proximity of on-campus dormitories and dining facilities, students are at a substantial risk of catching the disease. Loyola’s Student Health Services, the CDCP and the American College Health Association recommend that all students under age 25, not only those living on campus, receive the vaccination. According to recent studies from the CDCP and the ACHA, freshmen living in on-campus dorms are at a six times higher risk of catching the disease than other students.
According to Loyola’s Student Health Services Web site, studies have also shown that 70 to 80 percent of meningitis cases on college campuses came from vaccine-preventable strains. The Health Services Web site also recommends the vaccination to others who are at an increased risk of contracting the virus, including those with “medical conditions (that compromise) immunity, students at the time of high school entry, young adolescents at the pre-adolescent doctor visit, travelers to endemic areas of the world and lab workers.”
Statistics from the National Meningitis Association indicate 3,000 cases in the United States every year, with only 10 to 12 percent of those cases being fatal. Those who survive the disease often suffer from long-term health defects, including brain damage and kidney disease.
Student Health Services offers the meningitis vaccine, Menactra, for $95, and has included information regarding the vaccine along with a comprehensive guide for students with any questions concerning the disease on their Web site. Students experiencing any symptoms of meningitis, including stiffness of the neck, high fever and nausea, should report immediately to Student Health Services, doctors say.
Alex Woodward can be reached at [email protected].
