Health Services offers students info at today's meningitis clinic
By: Christina Hayden
Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
SFA Health Services is sponsoring a Meningitis Clinic from 1 to 6 p.m. today in the Baker Pattillo Student Center, Regents Suite A.
Maxim Health Systems, LLC will allow students the chance to be vaccinated against the meningitis virus at the cost of $135.
Charlene Honea, assistant to the director, said the Health Clinic does not require students to be vaccinated against meningitis but it highly recommends it, "especially for freshman coming in, because they are living in such close quarters."
According to Dr. John H. Miller, director of health services, there is more than one type of meningitis.
"Meningitis means an inflammation of the lining of the brain and portions of the spinal cord," Miller said. "You can have many different type of organisms that cause this. It can be viral, it can be bacterial, it can be a non-organisms called meninges which result in the same symptoms as the meningitis most people worry about, the one students are told to get shots to protect against."
Immunizations for viruses such as meningitis are a rarity on campus because of the cost to the University. The budget does not provide funds for the vaccine even if students were charged, Miller said.
Having an outside company, Maxim Health Systems, LLC, allows SFA to offer the vaccines on campus.
Miller said the meningitis vaccine has relatively few side effects.
"There is not a single vaccine on the market that has not had something untoward happen to it," he said, "but in general, in the majority, it is very safe and certainly the benefits tremendously out way the risks."
The Meningitis Clinic accepts cash, check and credit cards and is open to the public. For more information contact the Health Clinic at (936) 468-4008.
Maxim Health Systems, LLC will allow students the chance to be vaccinated against the meningitis virus at the cost of $135.
Charlene Honea, assistant to the director, said the Health Clinic does not require students to be vaccinated against meningitis but it highly recommends it, "especially for freshman coming in, because they are living in such close quarters."
According to Dr. John H. Miller, director of health services, there is more than one type of meningitis.
"Meningitis means an inflammation of the lining of the brain and portions of the spinal cord," Miller said. "You can have many different type of organisms that cause this. It can be viral, it can be bacterial, it can be a non-organisms called meninges which result in the same symptoms as the meningitis most people worry about, the one students are told to get shots to protect against."
Immunizations for viruses such as meningitis are a rarity on campus because of the cost to the University. The budget does not provide funds for the vaccine even if students were charged, Miller said.
Having an outside company, Maxim Health Systems, LLC, allows SFA to offer the vaccines on campus.
Miller said the meningitis vaccine has relatively few side effects.
"There is not a single vaccine on the market that has not had something untoward happen to it," he said, "but in general, in the majority, it is very safe and certainly the benefits tremendously out way the risks."
The Meningitis Clinic accepts cash, check and credit cards and is open to the public. For more information contact the Health Clinic at (936) 468-4008.
Be the first to comment on this story