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IMMUNIZATIONS:
MENINGOCOCCAL PREVENTION PROGRAM |
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Do you know someone 11-24 years
old? Is he or she protected from meningococcal disease?
It can kill an otherwise healthy young person in 48
hours or less. It's scary, and especially for students
nearing high school graduation or returning to college.
Meningococcal disease is spread through social behaviors
involving close personal contact such as sharing
drinking glasses or water bottles, kissing, smoking, or
being in crowded living situations such as dormitories.
But there IS a vaccine against it - and VNA has the
vaccine to protect teens from meningococcal disease, a
serious bacterial infection that can infect the blood or
areas around the brain and spinal cord. Infection can
lead to brain damage, disability and rapid death. Each
year, of the approximately 3,000 cases of meningococcal
disease in the U.S., about 400 cases will result in
death.
The Visiting Nurse Association offers access to the
immunization to protect against meningitis -- by
appointment, at clinics for college-bound teens
throughout the summer or in private homes during student
gatherings.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now
recommends meningococcal vaccination for adolescents 11
to 12 years old and for teenagers upon entry to high
school or college. Many states, including California,
have enacted legislation mandating that information
about meningococcal disease and the availability of a
safe and effective vaccine must be sent to college and
high school students, children attending camp, and their
parents.
Walk-in clinics are scheduled in the spring and summer
by VNA and will be listed on this site. Students under
the age of 18 who will not be accompanied by a parent
must bring written parental consent to receive
immunizations. Click on the links below for the forms
which must be printed, signed and brought to the clinic
site:
Meningococcal Immunization Prepayment/Consent Form
Tetanus and Diphtheria Immunization Prepayment/Consent
Form
For more information, call the VNA Immunization
Information line at 831-648-3777.
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Tel: 831-372-6668
