The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently recommended that a newly improved meningitis vaccination be given to all college students living in dorms.
James Turner, chairman of the American College Health Association's Task Force on Vaccine-Preventable Diseases, said that college-age students are at an increased risk for the meningitis - an infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
The risk among college students is five times that of their peers who are not in school, Turner said.
Although officials are unsure why the occurrence of the disease among college students is higher than in the general population, most agree that it has something to do with the crowded and hectic conditions of a "living and learning environment," Turner said.
"The combination of living in crowded conditions, attending crowded lectures and going to crowded bars promotes the passage of the bacteria from one person to another," Turner said.
Although the overall risk of contracting the disease is small - about five to six cases for every 100,000 students -Turner believes that requiring the vaccination is critical.
"It's relatively uncommon, but when it occurs it's devastating and catastrophic," Turner said.
At Penn, where there was a case of meningitis this spring, the vaccination is required for all freshmen living in dorms.
The ACHA has been working with the CDC to help public officials implement the new recommendation, which comes in the wake of the discovery of MCV4 - which has the brand name Menactra - a new and more effective immunization against the disease.
CDC spokeswoman Jennifer Morcone said that the CDC recommendations are "public health guidance," and individual colleges and universities must decide whether to mandate the vaccination.
Felisha Liu, an incoming freshman in Nursing and Wharton, said that getting the vaccination was "a big pain."
"I had to sit in the waiting room for over an hour and then argue with my insurance company about how much they would cover," Liu added.
Besides the price, the vaccination tends to be harmless, except for some soreness.
"My arm was pretty sore, and I had prom the next day" Liu said of the downside to the vaccine.
"It was a pain, but better safe than sorry," she added.
