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Meningitis
may not be a topic covered in health class, but add some caution
to your curriculum.
Beware of Contracting Meningitis on Campus
By Rochelle DelGaizo Billera
September 2001
The CollegeBound Network NewsClick -- On March 25, 1998,
Lynn Bozof's worst nightmare came true. The mother of Georgia Southwestern
University pre-med student Evan Bozof, received a call from her
son that he was experiencing a terrible migraine. At first, she
wasn't too alarmed, since migraines run in her family. But when
Evan, who was also the star pitcher of his school's baseball team,
said he was too sick to attend his game, sirens began sounding in
Mrs. Bozof's ears.
"I knew then that he must have really been sick," she
remembers. And when Evan wasn't feeling any better hours later,
his mother suggested he have a friend take him to the local hospital's
emergency room. When he got there, the doctors thought Evan had
a virus and admitted him as a precautionary measure.
The next day, however, the doctor tending to Evan informed Mrs.
Bozof that he had bacterial meningitis and was in critical condition.
The family rushed to the hospital, but Evan, who endured a quadruple
amputation of both legs and arms and suffered several brain seizures,
died 26 days after his diagnosis.
"If the meningitis had been caught earlier or prevented through
a $65 vaccination, Evan could have been treated and survived,"
blares Mrs. Bozof, frustrated and forlorn.
Recent studies show that college students -- particularly those
living on campus -- have three to five times greater risk of contracting
meningitis than the general population. The Center for Disease Control
and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend getting vaccinated
prior to attending college.
"If Evan had been vaccinated, he'd still be alive today. I'd
like to see all [50] states require the vaccine," says Mrs.
Bozof, who established the Evan Bozof Resolution the year of her
son's death. It encourages administrators of Georgia public colleges
and universities to educate students and parents about the disease.
"There's this safe vaccine out there with no side effects
that could save lives," says Mrs. Bozof. "Education, prevention,
and awareness are key to saving lives."
Be conscious of your health in college. Some warning signs of
meningitis include:
1. Flu-like aches and pains
2. Sudden high fever
3. Stiff neck
4. Extreme lethargy
5. Strange blotch-like spots on skin
6. Overall feeling of weakness
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