Ready for college? Are you sure? Meningitis vaccination recommended before students head to college

Rick Charmoli | Cadillac News 2007 Cadillac High School graduate Ryan Bilyea gets vaccinated for Meningitis at Cadillac Family Physicians recently as part of his preparations for college. Meningitis is a rare illness that can be deadly if contracted.

The summer after high school graduation is a busy one, yet there are other things to keep in mind. Especially if the graduate is headed off to a college or university in the fall.

In fact, one thing could potentially save their lives.

Although cases of Meningitis are relatively small, local health care officials, as well as doctors, believe getting the vaccination is a wise decision before heading off to college.

Ryan Bilyea is ready for college.

The 2007 Cadillac High School graduate is heading to Central Michigan University in the fall. He also plans on studying accounting while in Mount Pleasant but nothing is set in stone.

Although he knows the adjustment from being a high school student to college student will be a tough one, one thing he didn’t know much about was Meningitis.

“I know it can be deadly but that’s all I know,” Bilyea said.

Although he doesn’t know much about the infection of the fluid of a person’s spinal cord or brain, he and his parents knew enough that he should get inoculated against it prior to going to CMU.

Recently, Bilyea went to get his college physical at Cadillac Family Physicians. During the physical, Dr. Christiane M. Sanburn did a normal physical check but also made sure Bilyea was up to date with all his immunizations, including one against Meningitis.

“It is important to know that the vaccine protects against the most common forms of Meningitis but not all forms,” Sanburn said. “Although it protects most forms it is still good to know the symptoms of Meningitis. Fever, headache, neck pain, malaise or fatigue and some people get a skin rash. Nausea and vomiting also could be signs.”

Like her son, Amy Bilyea did not know much about the infection but she is no stranger to the vaccine. She has an older son already in college and a 12-year-old daughter and both have received the vaccine to protect them against Meningitis. Although she knows it can be deadly, she said Meningitis was not high on her list of concerns when her son moves this fall.

“Other than not getting enough sleep or rest and not eating properly and the communicable illnesses like a cold, I don’t have any concerns,” she said.

For James Wilson, it only makes sense for someone going to college to get the vaccine for Meningitis. It is even more important if that student will be living in the dorms.

“It does not happen very often that someone gets Meningitis but when it does it is very tragic. Anybody can get it but the way they get it is 5 to 10 percent carry the bacteria in their nasal passage,” the District Health Department No. 10 medical director said.

“A very small percentage, about 1 percent, is at risk of it becoming a very serious illness. Children and young adult are at risk because they are packed together at schools, dorms or military camps.”

With his physical done, Bilyea said he just wants to enjoy the summer before classes start and he also he is excited about the opportunities college and CMU present.

“I’m just excited to start a new chapter in my and to meet new people and have fun,” he said.

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