Every year young adults venture out to a new world, college. Not only is this unknown territory scary, but the whole experience can be hard to understand. There are requirements before students can even begin. It’s not just about the books and scheduling the classes! Every state has different requirements of vaccinations that every new college bound student must have before they are allowed to start classes.
The CDC website states that the following are the vaccines recommended for college students: Tetanus-Diptheria-Pertussis vaccine, Meningococcal vaccine, HPV vaccine series, Hepatitis B vaccine series, Polio vaccine series, Measles-Mumps-Rubella (MMR) vaccine series, Varicella (chickenpox) vaccine series, Influenza vaccine, Pneumococcal polysaccharid (PPV) vaccine, and the Hepatitis A vaccine series.
Also according to the same website as above, college freshmen, especially those who live in dormitories, are at a slightly increased risk for bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria (meningococcal disease) compared with other persons of the same age. As of 2009, a total of 34 states have adopted legislation requiring colleges to provide information on risks of meningococcal disease to incoming students and/or students residing on campus, and 15 states have mandated vaccination for certain students, unless a vaccination waiver is provided. There are currently two vaccines licensed in the United States to protect against meningococcal meningitis.
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