<p>We are in SoCal and had no problems getting D1 vaccinated a couple of yrs ago. Recently, D2 went in for a check up before going off to Explo this summer...and our doctor vaccinated her as well. When we heard of the mumps outbreak among college students, I checked D1's immunizations records...and our physician gave her a booster for that as well! :) He's my hero!!!</p>
<p>Try the public health clinic. I got mines last week for free.</p>
<p>Here's a site from the National Institute of Health on meningitis and all the different types - the vaccine is for the meningococcal form. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000680.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000680.htm</a> </p>
<p>Make sure you check with your insurance BEFORE you get the vaccine. Your local health department may charge much less than your doctor's office if the insurance is not going to pick it up. It is state law in Pennsylvania for students living in dorms, but the HMO still refuses to cover it. I paid for it at the doctor's office - almost twice what the health department charged.</p>
<p>My pediatrician here in PA said more vaccine should be coming in June.</p>
<p>Here is NY I had separate appointments for two of my boys, two weeks apart. The first one was able to get the new meningitis vaccine, which is supposedly good for 10 years, but it was not available for the second son two weeks later. Pediatrician said they had run out and were not expecting any more. He was able to give the second child the original vaccine, which is good for 3-5 years, and he will have to be revaccinated for college.</p>
<p>Even though not in college yet, my offspring will be living at various times in two different dorms this summer. Family doctor recommended waiting until college for the shot, but it makes me uneasy. What are the pros and cons?</p>
<p>Unless there were health reasons to wait, I'd say go ahead. Our wise pediatrician gave my daughter (entering high school) one at the same time he gave my son (headed to college) one saying he expected them soon to be a standard high school immunization requirement. (And he was not just wanting to make money on this, since he went to check first if they had sufficient supply since he knew he had lots of college-bound kids to cover first). However, I also wouldn't fret if it is not easy to do, since I think the hazards are much higher in winter months and with more sustained times than a summer program would involve....</p>
<p>Live in CA also. Boths Ds attend school on east coast. Both were given shot by family pediatrician. Both contracted mono while freshman in college and that was bad enough, can't imagine anything worse. All teenagers should be vaccinated.....</p>
<p>MissouriGal,
I spoke with my pediatrician about this and have read up a bit about the vaccine. Incidence of the meningitis seems to spike during freshman year in college. There doesn't seem to be an explanation for this. I read that the "graph" for this illness starts at about age 15 and seems to peak in the early college years. The new 10 year vaccine would carry high school and college kids through these peak years. The disease can carry horrific consequences, loss of limbs and even death. It develops rapidly and is difficult to diagnose initially, so it is often well into it's destruction before being properly diagnosed.
Having recently given my kids the shots, I can tell you that the only reaction they had was that one had a sore arm for a day. The other had no reaction to it at all. I asked my pediatrician what he would do if it was his child, and he didn't hesitate. "I'd give him the shot."</p>
<p>Our family doctor recommended these shots for college:</p>
<p>meningitis
tetanus booster
hepatitis A
hepatitis B
flu shot (as soon as available in the fall)</p>
<p>and recently added the recommendation for this year of an MMR booster, since it now appears that the MMR immunity fades (as shown in the midwest mumps outbreak).</p>
<p>Remember that losing school time may cost a semester's work--at upwards of $20K/semester--and so the vaccines may actually be quite cheap!</p>
<p>Please, please get your child immunized. Call the college and see if they have a clinic. Some peds get supplies a little later in the summer - this is not a vaccine that they will all keep year-round (like MMR), most will stock up to give shots before summer. There are some advantages ot the new vaccine, but get whichever you can get for your child. The disease is truly horrific, and while the vaccine is not effective against every last serotype, it is still a very good idea.
Kids off to college in Midwestern states, Iowa, particularly, should ask their docs about mumps boosters. I think the epidemic has slowed down a little, but I don't know what the CDC is recommending for the fall.</p>
<p>I was told that the new vaccine is associated with Guillaine-Barre Syndrome. Should we be getting the old vaccine?</p>
<p>Agree with Cangel...if your child will be living in a dorm situation this summer, get the vaccination. We know of a 16 yr-old who contracted bacteria menningitis and was paralyzed from the neck down...very sad. Don't take the chance...</p>
<p>We found that the regular doctor had problems getting the vaccination, but the local county clinic had it in spades! Check where yours is, and I am sure you will find it. D is at Amherst, so we went through all this last year. Her follow up innoculations were free at the school's health center.</p>
<p>I have read several articles lately about the new vaccine causing GBS. Here are links to some information. My oldest needs a new vaccine as he got the old one 3 years ago - not sure if he'll get the old one or the new one. The youngest got Menactra (the new one) last summer with no problems. </p>
<p><a href="http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/125851%5B/url%5D">http://www.azstarnet.com/metro/125851</a></p>
<p>CDC info on vaccines in general: <a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cdc.gov/nip/publications/vis/</a></p>
<p>Am. Pediatrics on vaccines: <a href="http://www.cispimmunize.org/%5B/url%5D">http://www.cispimmunize.org/</a></p>
<p>Illinois has a grant this year that is funding county health departments to vaccinate against meningitis for $10. The catch is that the child has to be 18 and under. They work by appointment and in my county the clinic was only open on Tuesdays. But that's a great deal. I paid $70 for my other daughter (we had to get it at orientation). Oh, and the reason its so hard to get sometimes, is that the vacine has a short shelf life and is expensive.</p>
<p>The chance a normal child gets it is 2 in 10,000. The "High Chance" as a freshman is 4 in 10,000. Hating needles, I opted to not get the vaccine.</p>
<p>Meningitis free for two years,
Me.</p>
<p>S2, who is a junior in high school got his about a month ago. S1 who is a 2nd year in college has scheduled his for this Friday with his pediatrician (who happens to be walking distance from where he lives). We are in california, and there was no issue regarding availability.</p>
<p>I got my meningitis shot when I went in to get my Tetanus booster. It was no problem, the doctor just said "You should have this meningitis shot" and so I said "Okay." I still have to go back for Hep B, but it was so easy to get. My doctor is a pediatrician, try one of those?</p>
<p>neverborn,
The issue is not the prevalence of the disease, but rather the potentially catastrophic results of contracting it. There is a fairly high incidence of mental deficit, deafness, limb loss and death among those who do get bacterial meningitis. You should still consider immunization.
<a href="http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section14/chapter176/176b.jsp%5B/url%5D">http://www.merck.com/mrkshared/mmanual/section14/chapter176/176b.jsp</a>
<a href="http://www.webmd.com/hw/infection/aa34521.asp%5B/url%5D">http://www.webmd.com/hw/infection/aa34521.asp</a>
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/mening/mening_fs.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vaccine/mening/mening_fs.htm</a></p>
<p>For concerns about Guillain-Barre Syndrome, see this link and related pages:
<a href="http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/gbs/gbs-menactra-facts.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.cdc.gov/nip/vacsafe/concerns/gbs/gbs-menactra-facts.htm</a></p>
<p>I'm a hospital pharmacist, and believe me, I really consider whether or not to have my kids receive certain immunizations. In 25 years of practice, I have only seen one person with G-B (not a teen), but you hear of several instances of bacterial meningitis in college dorms every year. It's a calculated risk either way. I personally chose the immunization for my kids, as did my co-workers.</p>