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Don't have the shot? Can't move in until you do.</p>
<p>And if you've gotten the shot less than 10 days before you're due to move in, then you still have hurdles to face.</p>
<p>It's becoming apparent that a small percentage of students at the University of North Texas , Texas A&M University, Southern Methodist University and the University of Texas at Austin won't be given keys to their room.</p>
<p>North Texas is in the worst shape, with 290 of 3,600 students, or about 8 percent, yet to return the required paperwork. At A&M it's 122 out of around 5,200 students.</p>
<p>SMU and Texas are in better shape, with SMU seeing 25 of 1,480 yet to return forms and Texas seeing 20 out of 4,818.</p>
<p>But those numbers don't account for the students who got the shot too late for a seamless transition.</p>
<p>"Students cannot check in until 10 days after the shot," said Nadine Kelley, a program coordinator in Texas' division of housing and food service. "There will be students who have the vaccination but may check in late."
<p>Great idea. Meningitis is a killer. What a bummer for those who can’t follow directions, though.</p>
<p>I would also add that parents should include a thermometer in the supplies sent to college. It’s a great indicator for when a young person should seek medical attention.</p>
<p>Just to clarify: This is for students who enter housing for the first time AFTER January 1, 2010. Returning students do not need to provide this.</p>
<p>This was required by BOTH of my kids’ colleges. One graduated from college in 2007 and the other this year. In fact, it was required for ALL college students in the states where those colleges were located. Glad to see that Texas is catching up!!</p>
<p>Glad to see this policy enforced after the tragic overnight student death at a Michigan State dorm, and others, a few years ago.</p>
<p>Without knowledgeable adults to quickly urge the students to the hospital, meningitis can be a quick and deadly tragedy. Still, this vaccine only protects 3 of the 5 strains of the disease.</p>
<p>My husband had bacterial meningitis three times in five months some years back. Lucky us–he lived and has no long-term damage. However, please tell your students that if they feel worse than they ever have with the flu they should go get checked. Menigitis symptoms mimic the flu. The first time my husband got sick, we thought that is what it was (fever, vomiting, chills). I did call an emergency room about 11 p.m. and was told that it sounded like the flu (I was talking to a student I later learned). By 3 a.m., my husband could not stand up, so we could not get him into the car and ended up calling 911. He was unconscious by 8 a.m. and I was told to call in the family that afternoon. It was awful, but he woke up two days later. It was Valentine’s Day 1992.</p>
<p>So, the moral of the story: know the signs and get the vaccine to protect what it does protect. Other signs include stiff neck (hubby did not have that) and photosensitivity. This disease moves quickly.</p>
<p>Here is a map where you can check each state for their requirements regarding the Meningococcal vaccine. I know Virginia requires it OR a signed waiver.</p>
<p>I had my oldest and youngest sons vaccinated last summer with no side effects sans sore arms. My middle son was headed to camp within 3 days and we didn’t want to risk a fever. There were several cases of H1N1 in the sessions before his and they were literally taking the students temperature at admission. He will have it at his next check up.</p>
<p>MD Mom - What a blessing that your husband is okay. What a nightmare!</p>
<p>“Other signs include stiff neck (hubby did not have that) and photosensitivity. This disease moves quickly.”</p>
<p>These are the classic symptoms. My son had meningitis when he was six years old. I kept trying to wake him up one summer morning to go to basketball camp. He didn’t want to leave his dark bedroom and kept saying his throat and neck hurt. I still didn’t catch on. After a bit I phoned the pediatrician and said I thought we needed to come by for a throat culture (I thought it was strep.) Fortunately the astute physician routed us to ER for a spinal tap. </p>
<p>I still can’t believe how quickly he deteriorated that morning. I’ve always prided myself on being watchful and sensitive to these things. I knew it was bad, though, when my son collapsed in the elevator and didn’t want to take his head off the floor because it hurt so bad. He survived, but it was a while before he was back to his old self.</p>
<p>So if nothing else, remind your kids that meningitis hits hard and fast and they shouldn’t be afraid to ask for help at the infirmary (or wherever) if symptoms like these present themselves.</p>
<p>Massachusetts has required the meningitis vaccine for years. It was required for my son in PA as well.</p>
<p>I was surprised that D’s college in NC required a TB test within the past year, but does not require the Meningitis vaccine (although they do recommend it).</p>
<p>My son was required to have it for college back in 2004. The funny thing was the state made it a requirement that year but did not arrange for any stocks of it to be available so most students did not have it at the start of school. I think we ended up having to order it through a pharmacy and take it to out family Doc.</p>
<p>My school doesn’t require vaccines but this is one of the recommended ones. I meant to get it last year but didn’t have the means. I intend to do it first thing when I get to campus this year. I got horribly sick last year with the worst flu I’ve ever had and all I could think about was how I hadn’t gotten the vaccine.</p>
Thanks for making this important point, fauve. Our peds made sure the kids knew that they could contract certain strains of meningitis even after being immunized, and instructed them not to dismiss seeking medical help whenever they were feeling seriously ill.</p>
<p>Amazing, MD Mom - so glad your dh came through it all well.</p>
<p>Yes, sadly Texas does seem to run behind the times quite a few things, but at least a fair number of the doctors are quite so short-sighted. When daughter entered college in fall 07, I took her for her physical that spring, asked her doctor if she was set for school and he said although it wasn’t required he highly recommended a meningitis vaccination. So she got hers, but of course since it wasn’t required it wasn’t covered by insurance, but whatever. Since it wasn’t required at the time, the vaccination clinics that are provided in most areas of Texas for back to school for free or very little cost didn’t provide it either. Good news, since it is now a required vaccine college kids should be able to get it for little cost.</p>