Three Ohio state senators introduced a bill that would require all students to receive a vaccine for bacterial meningitis and hepatitis B if living on campus at any college or university in Ohio.
If approved, the bill would go into effect for the 2009-10 school year. Students would be able to waive the requirement for religious or medical reasons.
I'm generally supportive
said Ryan Lombardi, dean of students at Ohio University. Getting a vaccine is a good thing - it is preventative medicine.
Currently, students are only required to disclose whether they have received these vaccines to live on campus.
OU does not require students to have any vaccines, but certain programs within the university, such as the medical program, do require some vaccines, said Jackie Legg, interim director of Student Health Services.
In February, two OU freshmen were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis. The students were vaccinated for meningitis, but the vaccine only covers four of the five main strains of meningitis, Legg said. Both students recovered.
In Ohio, about 26 percent of meningitis cases result from the meningitis strain that is not covered by the vaccine, Legg said.
Even for the four strains covered by the vaccine, immunity is not 100 percent, Legg said.
Although the vaccine is not foolproof, it does significantly reduce the risk of catching bacterial meningitis, Lombardi said. One concern he said he has is that if all students receive the vaccine, they might be less cautious if a case does arise.
If the bill is passed, OU will need to create a system to verify that all students have received the vaccine, which could require some additional expenses, Lombardi said.
Hudson Health Center will still be prepared to determine if people have meningitis and to treat it with antibiotics if the bill is passed, Legg said.
Bacterial meningitis is a potentially fatal infection that affects the fluid surrounding the spinal cord and brain, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include a headache, fever and stiff neck. 1
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Jackie Best
