Disease awareness: give it a shot

Meningococcal disease is a bacteria-borne illness that is spread through close contact , such as kissing or coughing, or from lengthy contact, such as living with your best friends in Benfer or the Village. Responsible for both blood infections (ever heard of sepsis?) and infections of the lining of the brain and spinal cord, it is a largely feared illness. The CDC recommends “keeping up to date with recommended vaccines is the best defense against meningoccal disease.”

In terms of keeping up to date, a relatively new vaccine is now available for particular strains of the disease, known as the serogroup B meningococcal vaccine. In fact, there are twelve different strains of the bacteria which causes meningitis, known as “serogroups”. The majority of meningococcal disease is caused by serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y.

Recent outbreaks of serogroup B meningoccal at Rutgers University-New Brunswick and throughout Southern California are drawing attention to this particular strain. Accordingly, a new recent addition to the Rutger’s Student Health Policy mandates students now be vaccinated against the disease. The CDC recommends vaccination for people 10 years or older who are considered to be at increased risk due to an outbreak. Though the CDC attributes roughly two to three cases per every one hundred cases of meningococcal disease to outbreaks, the spread of this disease can have life-altering consequences.

The FDA has licensed two forms of vaccines for the Serogroup B meningoccal vaccine, known as Bexsero® and Trumenba®. As suggested by the CDC, those at an increased risk for the disease due to a recent outbreak are recommended to be vaccinated. In other words, you do not need to run to the health center right this moment; outbreaks of Serogroup B menningoccal disease are being tracked by the CDC.

However, with flu season right around the corner, a friendly reminder about vaccine awareness would not hurt the Muhlenberg student population. Many of the myths surrounding vaccines have successfully been debunked, and a wealth of information is available on the CDC’s website for those still concerned about vaccines. Serious myths threatened the scientific integrity of vaccines, including those connecting vaccines with Autism or including mercury as an ingredient. Vaccines should not be seen by the community as scary or threatening.

In basic science terms, a vaccine typically consists of a non-threatening form of the pathogen which elicits an immune response which should protect against future encounters of the disease. A key takeaway about vaccines is the idea of “herd immunity”. The basis of herd immunity is protection from a pathogen by those in a large group who receive a vaccine. Ideally, everyone in this large group is protected from a disease. This large group of people is therefore then less likely to spread a disease to somebody who has a compromised immune system or another health complication and cannot be vaccinated from diseases. Herd immunity protects those capable of being vaccinated and those who cannot be.

Vaccines are not to be dreaded or hated, but are a measure taken to ensure the general health of the population.

The list of vaccines needed for entry to college is overwhelming. Keeping up to date with painful needles to hoard off disease is not always the top priority for college students who are already trying to do three separate things in five separate places. Another vaccine for serogroup B meningococcal has not been added to that list. However, college students should still be weary of outbreaks and understand why awareness of disease is important.