<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>