The Class of 2007 may have one more item on their to-do list when preparing for school this summer — a mandatory meningitis vaccine.
On March 10, the New Jersey State Assembly passed a bill that would require all students enrolling in institutions of higher education for the 2003-2004 school year to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis prior to matriculation.
Statistically, meningitis is much more likely to strike college students, particularly freshmen.
Implementation concerns
University administrators, however, hope the bill does not receive the governor's approval this fall.
While the University does not oppose the substance of the bill, it does object to the proposed time frame of implementation, said Heather Ackley, coordinator of travel and immunization services.
Since its approval by the Assembly, the bill has undergone some important changes. For example, in its current incarnation, the bill would require only newly-enrolled students living in dormitories to receive the vaccine.
The bill would also require universities to make the vaccine available to all students, including those who are not able to afford it. The law would be implemented in September 2003 if approved by Governor James McGreevey.
Appeal to universities
The provisions limiting the law's scope to first year students living in dorms made it much more attractive to many colleges and universities, said Laurie Cancialosi, chief of staff for State Senator Joseph Vitale.
Most colleges and universities have not voiced concerns about the bill, she said.
But Ackley said the University and most other institutions of higher education in the state think this fall is too soon to implement an effective immunization program. The University hopes the legislation will take effect beginning with the Class of 2008, she said.
Two types of meningitis
According to the Centers for Disease Control, meningitis is "an infection of the fluid of a person's spinal cord and the fluid that surrounds the brain." Two types — bacterial and viral — exist. The bacterial strain is the fastest moving and most deadly, according to the National Meningitis Association's website.
Bacterial meningitis can lead to organ damage, brain damange and death; treatment may include multiple amputations.
However, bacterial meningitis is also the most preventable form of the disease — a single vaccination is 70 percent effective against the illness for four years. The vaccination is also fairly low-risk. Only five percent of recipients will have a reaction at the site of injection, and one tenth of one percent may suffer anaphylactic shock, a severe allergic reaction.
Rare condition
Meningitis is not a particularly common ailment. Approximately 3000 Americans become infected each year, 300 of whom die. Four hundred and fifty survivors typically suffer permanent complications, according to the CDC.
No Princeton student has ever been diagnosed with meningitis, Ackley said.
However, students are cautioned against dismissing the threat of the disease. A Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report study showed that between 1991 and 1997, cases of bacterial meningitis nearly doubled among people between the ages of 15 and 24. College freshmen living in a dorm showed a risk over seven times that of college students overall.
Recent cases
There have been recent cases documented in New Jersey. In early March, two high school girls in Bergen County were hospitalized with bacterial meningitis, though both have since recovered.
Princeton charges $64 for vaccination against meningococcal meningitis, while a private practice would charge about $80. Although the shot may be expensive for a relatively rare illness, Ackley urges students to protect themselves against such a potentially dangerous and preventable culprit if possible.
"If you can afford that, it's worth the piece of mind," she said, pointing out that the price is comparable to that of a pair of new sneakers.
The Governor is expected to make a final decision on the bill by June.
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