Of the 13 college students nationwide infected with meningitis this year, six have died. In hopes of combating infectious diseases such as meningitis, Student Health is holding a vaccination clinic today in Newcomb Hall.
Nurses will have influenza, meningitis, hepatitis A and B, measles/mumps/rubella, tetanus, whooping cough, Twinrix and Gardasil vaccines available for to students for purchase throughout the day, Student Health Executive Director James Turner said.
The vaccines are provided by Intravene and will be less expensive for students than if the vaccines were administered to the general public, according to Intravene spokesperson Shelby Davis.
Vaccine clinics such as this one tend to have a strong impact on a community because of the vaccine pricing and convenience of location, she said.
"It is a good opportunity for students to get their vaccines who cannot get to their family physicians or for financial reasons," she added.
Vaccines range in price from $25 for a flu shot to $150 for the first dose of Gardasil, Turner said.
According to Turner, the meningitis vaccine costs $110 but is the most important for students to have.
"I think there should be a strong plug-in for students to get the meningitis shot," he said. "It is a rare but sometimes fatal disease, and last year two University students were infected and one died."
Turner added the one student who recovered from the disease had received the vaccine earlier, and it aided in his recovery.
Infectious diseases such as meningitis are especially threatening for a college community, Turner said.
"The crowded living, learning and social conditions of a college campus, such as eating together in large dining halls, sitting in lecture halls and being packed into rooms at parties promote the spread of bacteria," he added.
The previous vaccination clinics have been extremely effective in preventing infections among students, Turner said, noting that between 3,500 and 4,000 individuals were vaccinated for influenza last year. Of the 250 students who were diagnosed with influenza, 90 percent had not been vaccinated.
Turner also noted the high turnout of female students receiving the Gardasil vaccine.
"It is a brand--new vaccine and over 1,000 women have been vaccinated through Student Health," he said. "This vaccination clinic would be a great way for women to start the dosage sequence."
Turner added if students are unaware of these new vaccinations or unsure of their past vaccinations, there will be someone at the clinic to check their records and update their information.
Both Turner and Davis said they strongly encourage students to attend the clinic.
"It is a great way for students to remain happy and healthy," Davis said.
The clinic is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Newcomb Ballroom.
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