A meningitis clinic will be held on the ground floor of the Medical Sciences Building Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. respectively to administer vaccination for U of T students. A potentially deadly disease, meningitis claims the lives of about 10 per cent of its victims or causes permanent damage.
Just as devastating is how easily it can be spread. Any form of direct human to human contact, such as sharing drinks, kissing, or breathing second-hand smoke may transmit infected bacteria from carrier to the next victim.
“A lot of things we do in everyday life may spread the bacteria from one person to another, and really the best way [to prevent it] is the vaccine,” said Dr. Ron Gold, medical advisor of the Canadian Meningitis Research Foundation.
The latest local outbreak of meningitis was in Kitchener-Waterloo area in 1998 resulting in the infection of six people. College students are one of the most susceptible groups to meningitis, due to the crowded environment and a relatively vigorous lifestyle. In particular, first-year students are more at risk, and even more so if in dorms.
The meningitis clinic running on Oct. 15 and 16 at Medical Sciences Building will provide Menomune A/C/Y/W-135 for the price of $90.00, which is not covered by OHIP. The vaccination will provide protection against four serogroups of meningitis (A, C, Y, and W-135), which is effective for up to five years. The vaccination is highly recommended for students at risk, especially first-year students.
Kirsten Mansworth, a spokesperson for Fleishman Hillard, who are helping organize the event, noted, “Definitely this year the drive behind it [vaccination] is with the double cohort coming to university-there’s a greater density of people living together in the same place… It’s important this year than ever.”
