Health Services
Post Office Box 8043
Statesboro, Georgia 30460-8043
Telephone: (912) 478-5641
Fax: (912) 478-1893
http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/health

Dear Student:

As Chief of the Medical Staff at Georgia Southern University Health Services, I am writing to inform you about Meningococcal Disease, a potentially fatal bacterial infection commonly referred to as Meningitis. Our national organization, The American College Health Association (ACHA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that college students be immunized against Meningitis.

In January 2004, the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia began requiring all students living in university owned housing to EITHER receive a vaccine for bacterial Meningitis OR sign a waiver indicating that they have reviewed the information about the risks or bacterial Meningitis and have already been vaccinated or have chosen not to be vaccinated. Georgia Southern University Housing application forms include a section for students to review the required bacterial Meningitis information and to sign a waiver. Students who choose to receive the bacterial Meningitis vaccination may do so by contacting Health Services. The vaccine is currently available to students for $100.00 (price subject to change).

Meningitis is rare; however, when it strikes, its flu-like symptoms make diagnosis difficult. If not treated early, meningitis can lead to swelling of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal column as well as severe and permanent disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, seizures, limb amputation, and even death.

Cases of Meningitis among teens and young adults 15 to 24 years of age (the age of most college students) have more than doubled since 1991. The disease strikes about 3,000 Americans each year and claims about 300 lives. Between 100 and 125 cases occur on college campuses and as many as 15 students will die from the disease every year.

A vaccine is available that protects against four strains of the bacteria that causes Meningitis in the United States: strains A,C,Y and W-135. These strains account for nearly two thirds of Meningitis cases among college students.

I encourage you to learn more about Meningitis and the vaccine that is available at the Health Center. For more information, please feel free to contact us at: HEALTH SERVICES, Georgia Southern University, Phone: 912-486-7782 or visit our Web page at http://services.georgiasouthern.edu/health/.

Sincerely,
Brian M. Deloach, M.D.
Chief of Staff