New law sticks students with mandatory vaccine

In the wake of Texas A&M student Nicolis Williams' death from bacterial meningitis last February, the Texas legislature passed a new law over the summer that will require all students entering state institutions to have received the meningitis vaccine, regardless of where they reside.

The Jamie Schanbaum and Nicolis Williams Act (SB 1107) will take effect in January of 2012. The old law from 2009, named after University of Texas student Schanbaum who lost both legs due to the illness, only required students living on campus to receive a vaccination. Williams was living off campus at the time of his death. Now the requirement has broadened, and Texas universities will have to find ways of enforcing it on students starting next year.

"We are currently reviewing how we can collect and verify the necessary shot documents to abide by this new legislation," Director of Undergraduate Admissions Jody Todhunter said. "When the committee initially met, we first established that we must include meningitis information in our recruitment presentations, and it will be added to our admissions website.  We will also be linking our information to the Student Health Services and Housing sites as well."

Todhunter said any previously enrolled students not taking classes this semester would not be prevented from returning to the university because of this bill; however, he also said students without the vaccine would not be able to register for classes until proper documentation is received.

"We will be diligent to get this information out to the students early enough in the admissions process so they have ample time to get their shot information to us," he said.

The vaccine is available to students through A&M-Commerce Student Health Services, but the department has to buy it at full cost and offer it for the same price of $110. PA-C Maxine Mendoza-Welch said she had not heard if the state of Texas would be offering any financial help to universities in getting vaccines to students, but she said there are other options.

"Uninsured students can receive the vaccine from their county health department," she said. "Insured students can receive the vaccine from their pediatrician or primary care physician. Also, uninsured students 17 years or younger qualify for free immunizations through funding from the state of Texas."

Hunt County Health Department provides the meningitis vaccine for $5, but only for students aged 18 or under who are also permanent Hunt County residents.

"We carry a small amount, but only for college freshmen," Annette Harrington, LVN and nurse educator at the Hunt County Health Department, said. "If they are 18, they can still qualify for state vaccine under the children's vaccine program."

Harrington said there is no state program in place for adults over 18 at the moment, but there will most likely be re-evaluations of the various vaccine programs in the near future. Mendoza-Welch said there are still various options for students who wish to get the vaccine.

"Students who live out of state or far away might call some of our local physicians' offices in Greenville, Paris, Sulphur Springs and Rockwall and inquire if they offer the vaccine and its expense. Keep in mind that not all medical offices carry the meningitis vaccine, so it is best to call in advance."

Harrington said the danger of the disease is not that it is widespread, but that it is life threatening. Those who become ill may not know they have meningitis, because the symptoms are similar to the flu.

"It's not a very common thing that occurs," she said. "No more than three thousand per year in the U.S. get the disease. The problem is it's such a deadly illness, and you don't know you have it until it's too late. That's where the concern is."