A new-and-improved meningitis vaccine, Menactra, might be available to college students within the next few years, if the drug is approved by the Food and Drug Administration.
Olin Health Center offers a current vaccine called Menomune, but spokeswoman Kathi Braunlich said depending on costs, the university will consider the new alternative.
"Menactra is not yet on the market, but we are keeping an eye on it to see what the price might be and if insurance will cover it," Braunlich said.
The current price of Menomune is $91 at Olin Health Center, the projected price for Menactra is $80.
T.J. Bucholz, spokesman for the Michigan Department of Community Health, said a federal panel recommended the new vaccine to be licensed in September, but the process takes a long time because new drugs must undergo rigorous tests before approval is given.
Produced by the manufacturing company Aventis, Menactra will provide a long-term immunity to meningitis, as opposed to the three or five years offered by Menomune.
Bucholz said Menactra is a conjugate vaccine, which enables the immune system to adapt faster to meningitis. It also buoys the system's memory of the illness, allowing for better protection.
Meningitis is the inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms of meningitis are headaches and neck stiffness, followed by nausea. Patients can become comatose from the inflammation of the brain - fatalities often follow this phase.
Dr. Vivek Kak, an assistant professor of medicine in the College of Human Medicine, said literature he has read indicates the new vaccine might also provide better protection.
"MSU does provide the previous vaccine and recommends it, but the problem is that it covers two strains much better than other strains - so you can still get meningitis despite getting vaccinated," Kak said.
Menactra will be available for people between 11 and 55 years old, once it is federally approved, Bucholz said.
The idea of government-funded vaccinations for people in the high-risk group for meningitis, which is anyone 11 to 20 years old, is uncommon, Bucholz said, but he did not rule out the possibility.
Meningitis is contracted through close contact, which is why college students are among the priority group for the vaccine.
"There is a blip during the college years, 18-24, when the risk increases because college students are often living in close quarters," Braunlich said.
People can be carriers of both the bacterial and viral strains of meningitis without experiencing symptoms. As a result, Kak said, the strains can be easily passed on through activities such as sharing utensils and kissing.
The university encourages students to receive the current meningitis vaccine before coming to campus.
