Updated October 26, 2007

Student Health has 60 doses of Menactra Vaccine available at a discounted rate of $65, instead of the usual $107, for a limited time until November 4. If you were considering receiving meningitis vaccine and did not, this is a great opportunity to receive the vaccine at a great price. Appointment to receive the vaccine can be made at (919) 515-7107.

*Student Health currently offers the Menactra only. Price is subject to change.
Check this page for updates.

This material is written to make you aware of MENINGOCOCCAL MENINGITIS and a vaccine that may lower the risk of meningococcal disease.

MENINGITIS is an inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord and has a number of causes, including viral and bacterial. Neisseria meningitidis is one bacteria that may cause meningitis and strikes about 3,000 Americans each year, including an estimated 100-125 college students annually. Meningococcal bacteria are transmitted through the air via droplets of respiratory secretion, by oral contact with shared items, such as cigarettes or drinking glasses, by kissing, or by direct contact with an infected person. Meningococcal disease peaks in the late winter and early spring. It is possible to carry the bacteria in the nose or throat without symptoms. It is also possible for meningococcus to cause other infections of the body instead of meningitis, such as pneumonia.

SYMPTOMS of meningococcal meningitis most commonly include fever, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, stiff neck, and rash and may progress rapidly within hours.

TREATMENT with antibiotics should begin as soon as the diagnosis is considered. Complications in survivors may include hearing loss, kidney failure, amputation of the limbs, and permanent brain injury. Meningococcal infection may, in some cases, be fatal.

Menomune and Menactra are two licensed meningococcal vaccines that are 80% or more protective against 4 serogroups of meningococcus. The vaccines do not protect against serogroup B, which is responsible for about 30% of infections; so vaccine lessens but does not entirely eliminate the risk of infection. Menomune is effective 3-5 years and Menactra 3-5 years and possibly longer. In October, 2005, alerts were posted by both the FDA and the CDC about a possible connection between Menactra vaccine and Guillain-Barre Syndrome. For additional information, read the FDA alert at www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2005/NEW01238.html or an MSNBC posting of an Associated Press release at www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9546850/print/1/displaymode/1098/ Be aware that the alert has been posted for the newly released Menactra vaccine but not for Menomune.

Decision about whether to receive or not receive the immunization should be based on knowledge of those at risk. Meningococcal disease can affect people at any age. Groups at increased risk include those in close contact with a known case, patients with compromised immunity, and persons traveling to endemic areas of the world. The risk of meningococcal disease in college students is similar to that of persons of the same age who are not in college (1.4-1.7 cases per 100,000 population). However, the risk appears increased in those living in dorms, especially freshmen, versus living off campus, and it is thought that living in confined environments facilitates spread of the disease. N.C. House Bill 825 requires than any private or public institution that offers a postsecondary degree "provide meningococcal disease information to students if the institution has a residential campus”.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices to the CDC and the American College Health Association recommend meningococcal vaccine for college freshmen living in dorms and for other college students who wish to decrease the risk of meningococcal disease. Read more at www.cdc. gov or www.acha.org.

In conclusion, vaccines exist that may lower the risk of meningococcal disease. Although the vaccine is not required to attend NC State, it is recommended for freshmen living in dorms or for other students who want to lower the risk of disease. The vaccine is not 100% protective against all meningococcal disease, so medical attention should be sought immediately if there are symptoms suspicious for meningitis, even if the vaccine was received.

Mary Bengtson, M.D., Medical Director
NC State Student Health Services