Although students have a lot to worry about at the beginning of a new year with moving in, new roommates and starting class, they should not allow their health to be ignored.
Lifestyles that include living in close quarters with many people, drinking alcohol, sleep deprivation and poor nutrition increase the risk of contracting certain diseases.
"Students don't have regular diets and they may not be eating properly, so they get worn down," said Pamela Koons, the marketing manager at University Health Services. "Getting immunized is protection against getting sick."
The Allergy/Immunization Clinic, located in Ritenour Building, offers students vaccinations against influenza, tetanus-diphtheria, meningococcal disease, and hepatitis B at a cost to students.
The influenza vaccine is available to students at the rate of $10 and decreases the chance of contracting the disease by 70 to 80 percent. Side effects of the shot include mild soreness in the affected arm for two to three days.
"A lot of people think they can get the flu from the shot, but that's actually impossible," said Holli Kubalak, a physician's assistant at UHS.
Tetanus is an acute, often fatal disease of the nervous system. It causes a painful tightening of the muscles and can lead to lockjaw. The disease enters the body through a wound from germs commonly found in soil, dust and manure.
Side effects from the tetanus booster are minimal and include slight soreness or stiffness at the injection site accompanied by redness. The shot should be administered every 10 years and the student rate is $12.
Meningococcal meningitis is a bacterial infection that causes inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord. If not treated in time, it can lead to permanent complications such as brain damage or hearing loss and can be fatal.
The disease is spread through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions, such as kissing, coughing, and sharing drinks.
Early symptoms include fever, severe sudden headache accompanied by mental status changes and neck stiffness. One in 10 cases of meningitis are fatal and one in seven survivors is left with a severe handicap despite antibiotic treatment. The vaccine has virtually no side effects. The student rate is $77.
Hepatitis B is a viral infection that is localized in the liver. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, this disease can be 100 times more contagious than the AIDS virus. Initial symptoms of the disease are flu-like, Kubalak said. Hepatitis B can lead to abdominal pain, nausea, jaundice, chronic liver disease and even cancer. The disease is transmitted directly and indirectly through infected body fluids such as blood, semen, vaginal secretions, mucus membranes and broken skin.
The hepatitis vaccine is given in the arm in three doses: the initial shot, one a month later and the last six months after the first. It is important to get all three shots for full protection. The injected arm may be sore for a day and mild side effects such as a fever and headache are rare. For students under age 19 at the time of the first dose, the vaccine is free for all three doses. For those over 19, the cost is $35 per shot.
A hepatitis B clinic will be held from 12 to 4 p.m. Sept. 20 at the HUB and also from 12 to 4 p.m. Sept. 21 in Pollock Commons. Flu shots will be available at a clinic from 1 to 7 p.m. Nov. 8 in the HUB. A meningitis and flu clinic will also be held from 12 to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 in the HUB.
Students who are or may be pregnant or who have a chronic disease such as asthma or diabetes should check with their health care provider before receiving any of the vaccinations. People allergic to eggs should not receive the flu vaccine because it contains egg protein. In addition, students with a fever of 101 degrees or higher should postpone vaccination injections until their fever lowers.
