How important is the meningitis vaccine for dorm bound students?

[Sharon77]

Hi everyone, my dd is starting college in 2 weeks.

I had been planning on getting her the vaccine this week, didn't even think twice but when I told her, she said she doesn't want it.

 

She's highly sensitive to pharmaceuticals, can't even stand advil, so I understand her objections, but I am a bit freaked. I understand the risk is low, but at the same time...

 

She is going to a large research uni with it's own major hospital, so if she ever got sick, the ER is a block away. 

 

How many here don't get the vaccine, or is it non-negotiable in your view?

[Amy in NH]

Non negotiable.

 

Pull up news stories and survivor pictures to change her mind.

[eagleynne]

First thing I would do is check to see whether the school requires it. The schools around here (Indiana) tend to insist on vaccinations.

[Sharon77]

First thing I would do is check to see whether the school requires it. The schools around here (Indiana) tend to insist on vaccinations.

No, it's not required. I can sign a waiver. Thanks

[Crimson Wife]

Non-negotiable, and we're selective vaxxers for context. 

 

A girl in my dorm went from being mildly ill to the ICU and almost dying scary quick. I have also met a TON of people permanently deafened by meningitis since my daughter's hearing loss (hers in genetic but meningitis is a very common cause of hearing loss).

[SquirrellyMama]

The only vaccine I'm torn on is Gardasil. I just got my 7th grader the Meningitis vaccine last week. It's now required for all 7th and 12th graders.

 

I knew a girl who died of it. It pretty much looked like the flu, and a couple days later she's dead. Whenever I hear stories about people dying of Meningitis this is the pattern.

 

I've always had an irrational fear of it anyway. So, maybe I'm not the person to reply.

 

Kelly

[creekland]

Non-negotiable here.  My cousin came hours away from dying from it.  Had it been me instead, I'd have died.  He went to the ER.  I'd have gone home to sleep it off and see if it got better.  I suspect my kids would have been more like me than him.

 

Our kids' schools required it anyway, but even if they hadn't I'd have insisted.

[Spryte]

Non negotiable.

 

My son doesn't get flu shots for medical reasons. Doc's orders. So I understand some issues re: shots.

 

But my son had meningitis last summer. He almost died. Get that shot. Don't risk it. And don't selfishly opt out unless it's for a documented medical reason (allergy etc) because doing so could lead to spreading it, even asymptomatically. Don't expose other people to that, people who maybe truly can't get the shot.

 

Meningitis isn't something one can avoid by staying away from sick people, especially in a dorm.

 

I would never want anyone to go through what we did last summer. Even with an ER readily available, there are no guarantees with meningitis. You could lose your DD.

[TechWife]

Non-negotiable. Full stop.

[mamaraby]

For me, it would be non-negotiable.

[Spryte]

The only vaccine I'm torn on is Gardasil. I just got my 7th grader the Meningitis vaccine last week. It's now required for all 7th and 12th graders.

 

I knew a girl who died of it. It pretty much looked like the flu, and a couple days later she's dead. Whenever I hear stories about people dying of Meningitis this is the pattern.

 

I've always had an irrational fear of it anyway. So, maybe I'm not the person to reply.

 

Kelly

Oh, glad I read this. I need to be sure DS had it - I think he did, but want to double check. His meningitis last summer was viral, and we think transmitted by a tick as he also had babesiosis.

[SquirrellyMama]

Oh, glad I read this. I need to be sure DS had it - I think he did, but want to double check. His meningitis last summer was viral, and we think transmitted by a tick as he also had babesiosis.

I didn't know it could be spread by ticks! Yikes!

 

Kelly

[Acadie]

We vaccinate selectively, supported by our ped whom I trust completely. This is one she really recommends so we did it.

 

Amy

[katilac]

Non-negotiable. 

 

Plus, you can waive it, but if there's an outbreak they can bar her from dorm/campus as needed for her safety and to contain the outbreak. I have no idea how they handle school work and assignments in that case, but it sure won't make life easier. 

[Spryte]

I didn't know it could be spread by ticks! Yikes!

 

Kelly

I didn't either! And we're pretty Lyme literate here. It was horrible.

[Artichoke]

Non-negotiable here as well although one child has reacted poorly to some vaccines. The risk of death and amputation are too great. It moves quickly.

[Murphy101]

I'm a selective/delay vaxer, but this one I don't negotiate on. All of mine get it at 15.

[Andie]

I will add to the chorus of those that do delayed/selective vaccination but opt for the meningitis shot. We have a history of vaccine reactions, so we're very cautious, and I do wait until 16 so that it's one dose rather than two.

Edited August 8, 2017 by Andie

[Kalmia]

Non negotiable here.

 

A girl on break from college in the town I used to live in died within days of the first symptoms. Plus EVERYONE who was in contact with her had to be checked and vaccinated. It can spread easily as we see in the news with the baby who recently died of meningitis from a kiss from an infected person, and decisions about vaccinating should also take into consideration the responsibility one has toward siblings, roommates, boyfriends/girlfriends, parents etc.

 

Also I know the scientist who headed up the team to create one of the meningitis vaccines. This is someone with incredible integrity whom I trust to be sure it was as safe as it could be.

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Kalmia

[Soror]

Non- negotiable.  

[teachermom2834]

We do it even though so far it hasn't been required. It just isn't something like chicken pox that while miserable usually isn't serious.

 

I believe we paid alot for it for my first ds but it just wasn't something we would consider going without.

[bettyandbob]

There are some scary stories about survival and death rates.

 

I had kids vaccinated before going to overnight camps as teens. One of my kids had to have a second vaccine half way through college because the vaccine changed.

 

Some schools require it, especially if student is living in dorms. Choosing may not be an option.

[Miss Peregrine]

Only dissenter, here, I guess. Dd opted not to get it.

[Seasider]

Just in case you need another voice telling you not to skip this one, here I am! Don't skip this one. For all the reasons listed above.

 

ETA my kids' universities require it. There's a reason they do!

Edited August 8, 2017 by Seasider

[Lang Syne Boardie]

Non negotiable. An adult friend of mine nearly died from meningitis. It's a safe vaccine. Meningitis is highly contagious and not rare. People who opt out might find themselves spreading the disease, if they don't die...I don't understand why anyone would not get this vaccine.

[MomtoCandJ]

I would, one of my youngest brother's roommates died from it. My brother had to do the vaccine again, prophylactic antibiotics and a titter to be the vaccine was effective.

[Crimson Wife]

 I had kids vaccinated before going to overnight camps as teens. One of my kids had to have a second vaccine half way through college because the vaccine changed.

 

There are multiple meningitis vaccines. My youngest is considered high risk for meningitis because of her cochlear implant (the receiver is implanted under her skull and that leaves her more vulnerable to infections spreading to the central nervous system). She had to get a non-routine shot prior to surgery and will need others when she gets older. There is the Menactra which is recommended for all preteens & teens and then the meningitis B vaccine. I should talk to the pediatrician about my other kids getting the meningitis B shot as a way of protecting their sister.

[Sk8ermaiden]

We also selective/delay vaccines. I would never let them skip the meningitis vax. The death rate in healthy young adults is crazy high. 

[Angie in VA]

Only dissenter, here, I guess. Dd opted not to get it.

 

We didn't either, and we do vax, just selectively. I wanted this for dd, but we had medical reason to believe this was not good for her. Long story I won't divulge here. We signed the waiver and she did live in a dorm for 3 years, off campus her senior year. 

 

Ds leaves for college this month. I am still on the fence. He's not a minor and knows he "can" get it if he wants. 

 

I'm leaning towards his getting it. 

[Pam in CT]

My husband's cousin had it 15+ years ago, while in college.

 

 

He went to bed around 10p feeling a little off.  Just a little ache-y, no big deal.

 

He was unconscious -- too sick to wake up -- in the morning, let alone call 911, let alone get himself to medical care.  

 

If he had not had a roommate he would have died.  

If his roommate had not bothered to try to rouse him for his morning class rather than shrug and let him sleep in he would have died.  

If his roommate had chalked it up to a hangover and shrugged he would have died.

If his roommate had not felt a fever and called 911 -- the protocol was to notify the dorm resident advisor -- he would have died.

 

When the ambulance came he was at 106.  Even with care he nearly died.

 

 

Don't mess around.

 

 

 

 

[Lanny]

I believe that is mandatory for students at Texas Tech University. The reason is that one can go from being perfectly healthy, to being dead, in 24 to 48 hours.  If it is not mandatory,  IMO it should be mandatory.

[gardenmom5]

does the university she  will be attending consider it optional for students in dorms?  what are the consequences if she doesn't get the vaccine?

has she spoken with the school about a waiver due to how she reacts?

 

meningitis is highly contagious, living in a dorm environment - it like putting them all in a petri dish.

 

eta: my parents both had meningitis - my dad suffered permanent damage to his balance.

my girls college required it - and the schools 1ds was looking at required it for those living on campus.

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by gardenmom5

[Pawz4me]

Non negotiable.

[Ethel Mertz]

Non-negotiable. Meningitis is too serious to skip the vax.

[sassenach]

I would give up the idea that it's treatable. By the time people realize just how sick they are, it's usually too late. Make your decision based on it being a quickly fatal illness.

 

My son's speech therapist (a medical professional) died of it. She laid down with a headache and never woke up.

 

We selectively/delay vax and that was a non-negotiable for us. I did have to look my dd in the face and say, "You need to get this, period."

[hopskipjump]

Selective vaxxer here. This one was a must-do.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

Not negotiable. It's spreads fast and can kill fast.

[Lady Florida.]

Meningitis is one of the more deadly diseases for which there is a vaccine. The disease progresses rapidly and appears like the flu at first, so often by the time one finds out it's not the flu it's too late. 

 

Non-negotiable. 

 

 

Edited August 8, 2017 by Lady Florida.

[Spryte]

You know, I just have to say... this thread is giving me major anxiety.

 

Like I said upthread, my DS had meningitis last summer.  His pediatrician and I have both mentioned that *we* feel like we have a bit of PTSD about that.  I don't mean to trivialize PTSD, I know it is serious.  Maybe it's not the right word for what I'm feeling, but the thought of knowingly opting out of a vaccine for meningitis is making me twitch, and catch my breath.  

 

DS was 12 last summer.  He was fine when he went to bed.  We were staying in a hotel, while our house was being renovated, and for that reason, he and I were sharing a bed - at 4 am, he was extremely ill, and burning hot.  I'll never know how high his temp was at that time, as we had not brought a thermometer to the hotel.  That was the start of a truly harrowing experience.  He could have died.  I will never forget the way he hallucinated as his temp hit 105 and up, in the hospital.  

 

Get the shot.

 

 

[RootAnn]

We also selective/delay vaccines. I would never let them skip the meningitis vax. The death rate in healthy young adults is crazy high. 

 

:iagree: Eldest has already gotten it since she does summer camps. All the kids will get it as teens. Once I looked into it, it made complete sense to get.

[Lang Syne Boardie]

(((Spryte)))

[gardenmom5]

You know, I just have to say... this thread is giving me major anxiety.

 

Like I said upthread, my DS had meningitis last summer.  His pediatrician and I have both mentioned that *we* feel like we have a bit of PTSD about that.  I don't mean to trivialize PTSD, I know it is serious.  Maybe it's not the right word for what I'm feeling, but the thought of knowingly opting out of a vaccine for meningitis is making me twitch, and catch my breath.  

 

DS was 12 last summer.  He was fine when he went to bed.  We were staying in a hotel, while our house was being renovated, and for that reason, he and I were sharing a bed - at 4 am, he was extremely ill, and burning hot.  I'll never know how high his temp was at that time, as we had not brought a thermometer to the hotel.  That was the start of a truly harrowing experience.  He could have died.  I will never forget the way he hallucinated as his temp hit 105 and up, in the hospital.  

 

Get the shot.

 

:grouphug:  I"m sure most of us here understand exactly what you mean.   those types of flashbacks dredge up all the emotion that went along with those times.

glad your son is ok now.

[Pam in CT]

You know, I just have to say... this thread is giving me major anxiety.

 

Like I said upthread, my DS had meningitis last summer.  His pediatrician and I have both mentioned that *we* feel like we have a bit of PTSD about that.  I don't mean to trivialize PTSD, I know it is serious.  Maybe it's not the right word for what I'm feeling, but the thought of knowingly opting out of a vaccine for meningitis is making me twitch, and catch my breath.  

 

DS was 12 last summer.  He was fine when he went to bed.  We were staying in a hotel, while our house was being renovated, and for that reason, he and I were sharing a bed - at 4 am, he was extremely ill, and burning hot.  I'll never know how high his temp was at that time, as we had not brought a thermometer to the hotel.  That was the start of a truly harrowing experience.  He could have died.  I will never forget the way he hallucinated as his temp hit 105 and up, in the hospital.  

 

Get the shot.

 

 

Oh, honey.   :grouphug:

 

 

My cousin-in-law does not remember anything after going to sleep the night before.  He woke up briefly, groggily, after ~6 hours in the hospital.  His older sister was a senior at the same (distant) school, and she was the only family member to get there that quickly.  He described walking up dazed, seeing his sister's face swimming in and out before his eyes.  

 

I knew it had to be bad, because tears were pouring down her face.  J's like a rock.  She never cries.  So I knew it was bad, so I slipped back out.

 

 

 

It is not trivializing PTSD, to name that as trauma.

[justasque]

Non-negotiable.  
Meningitis is too fast, too deadly to mess around with.
And if the school doesn't require it, I'd ask why.  It would make an outbreak all the more deadly if many or most students did not have the vax.  
I would have a LOT of questions about the school's plans as to how they would handle an outbreak should one occur.  

[SparklyUnicorn]

I think the pro of getting it far outweighs any con since meningitis can kill a person.  And no we aren't talking "might have complications and kill a person" but often kills people. 

 

That said, she is also an adult right?  She can make her own bone headed choices if she wants.  I cannot imagine forcing an adult to get a vaccine. 

 

 

[catz]

Thanks all for reminding me my 16 year old has a few to get.  Making an appointment today.

[ktgrok]

This is one we absolutely do, and we do selectively vaccinate. 

 

This one is worth a few days of feeling funky from a vaccine reaction or whatever. 

[gardenmom5]

I think the pro of getting it far outweighs any con since meningitis can kill a person.  And no we aren't talking "might have complications and kill a person" but often kills people. 

 

That said, she is also an adult right?  She can make her own bone headed choices if she wants.  I cannot imagine forcing an adult to get a vaccine. 

 

just as public schools require some vaccines - college can require some vaccines.  they are required - not forced.  if you don't want the vaccine - you don't have to go there.

and I too would be concerned about a college that doesn't require the vaccine for students living in school funded housing. 

 

2dd . . for "free reading", read multiple books on various vaccines. . . . 

[TravelingChris]

And it is imperative for all dorms and really camps too.  When we were living in Europe, a soldier living in a dorm died and then another in another setting (I can't remember if it was another dorm or maybe a camp or something).  We then vaccinated our teens going to camp.  It was recommended.  And yes, my two youngest got a second one before college.  No, we didn't do Gardasil with either girl yet.  Oldest not because of one of the potential side effects is one that she is already at high risk for.  The younger one just hasn't done it yet.  But this is one that I would really, really recommend.  It isn't you may have bad problems if you get it or just a bad inconvenience.  It is very often death and as others say, very fast turning into a death.

[SparklyUnicorn]

just as public schools require some vaccines - college can require some vaccines.  they are required - not forced.  if you don't want the vaccine - you don't have to go there.

and I too would be concerned about a college that doesn't require the vaccine for students living in school funded housing. 

 

2dd . . for "free reading", read multiple books on various vaccines. . . . 

 

Yeah, this really surprises me that they don't require it!