[original post date: Nov. 11, 2011] 

In the past years the Meningococcal Meningitis Vaccination has not been a requirement to attend any high school or college in North Texas. Recently the requirements have changed and college students must have to be vaccinated to attend the school of their choice. As of this year, the Texas Department of Health also made it a requirement that all ninth graders must be vaccinated in order to go to class.

“Over the years there has been increased evidence of meningitis in the college age group of people,” school nurse and RN Trayce Franks said.

Over time meningitis has become more common throughout schools. Doctors offices began to recommend the vaccine eventually leading to the requirement of the vaccine to attend school.

“You can see it happening before it becomes a requirement. It starts to trickle in and the vaccination became more common,” Mrs. Franks said.

Even though seventh graders up to freshmen in high school were required to get the vaccination, upper classmen do not have to get it. However, in order to attend all colleges in Texas including Tarrant County College and the University of Texas at Arlington, all incoming freshmen of spring classes in 2012 must have the meningitis vaccination. The new Texas law states any college student under the age of 30 must have the vaccine.

“They have started making it a requirement in the seventh grade so students going into the seventh grade have to get it,” Mrs. Franks said, “This year was the first year ninth graders had to have it, so now all of the kids coming up through the high school levels will already have the vaccination.

The average cost of the meningitis vaccine ranges depending on the place where a person goes to obtain it and the quality of their insurance. The vaccination can range from $15 to $150.

Meningococcal Meningitis is a bacterial infection that affects the spinal cord and the meninges, or the membranes that cover the brain. The majority of people affected by the disease are adults and children under the age of 30. The disease causes fever, nausea and vomiting, severe pain in the head and neck and change in mental status. Meningitis is a disease that can cause brain damage or even death if not treated in time.

“If there is a vaccine out there that helps young kids not develop Meningococcal Meningitis- they need to take it,” Assistant Principal Louie Trammell said. “It is a nasty, nasty disease.”

College Info Concerning the Vaccine Requirements
University of Texas at Arlington
Tarrant County College
University of North Texas
Texas Christian University 
Texas Tech University

[updated: Nov. 1, 2012]

As more victims of the recent meningitis outbreak are documented, it becomes clear how the chain of infection began. All victims of the recent outbreak received a steroid injection used for pain control. Most of the shots were administered directly into the spinal cord, giving the virus a direct line to the rest of the body and the brain.

When the cases of fungal meningitis began appearing, the contaminated steroid was traced back to the New England Compounding Center, a producer in Massachusetts. Despite an investigation officials are unsure of how the medications were compromised, but it is known that the distributor did not practice sanitary routines or follow all protocol while preparing the steroid shots. Leaks found in the factory were discovered to be a source of unsanitary water. Dirt and debris was found in mats outside of the compound.

Not only was the facility not clean, but the medications being produced were not sterilized or clean either. Mold was found in vials of vaccinations. It was also discovered that the company was distributing medications not yet approved by the FDA. Complete and adequate sterilization processes were not used before the plant shipped the medication out to the public.

Fungal Meningitis, the strain of Meningitis afflicting those affected by the outbreak, is found in dirt and plants. The symptoms are headaches, neck pain, nausea, fever, light sensitivity, confusion and even seizures. As of Oct. 24, 2012 the reported number of cases reached 317 confirmed cases and 24 deaths, and the number is still rising. Texas only has had only one reported case of the disease and no deaths.

Sources:

CDC
Meningitis.org
nbcnews.com
abcnews.go.com