Living in student dormitories is an exciting time for young college students – and provides an optimal environment for infectious diseases to spread.
In order to reside on campus, proof of up-to-date immunizations against childhood and certain communicable illnesses are required. That includes vaccines against measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus, diphtheria, varicella (chicken pox), meningitis and tuberculosis skin tests.
“The State of Missouri has mandated that every public institution of higher education require all students who reside in on-campus housing to receive the meningococcal vaccine unless a signed statement of medical or religious exemption is on file,” said Roslyn Harvey, director of health services at Harris-Stowe State University (HSSU). “If a TB test is required, we refer them to the local health department if they don’t have insurance.”
HSSU refers students in need of vaccines to their primary care physician, federally qualified health centers or the St. Louis County Department of Public Health.
If a student does not have ready access to his or her immunization records, Harvey said, a health care professional can access that information through Show Me Vax, Missouri’s immunization registry, if the student attended school in Missouri.
Additional vaccines that are recommended for teens and young adults include Hepatitis A/B, HPV (human papilloma virus) and a tetanus diphtheria acellular pertussis (Tdap) immunization within the past 10 years.
The need for immunizations and booster shots does not end when you finish school. Adults can immunized against certain vaccine-preventable illnesses, including pneumonia and meningitis, both of which can be life-threatening.
Dr. Fredrick Echols, director of Communicable Disease Control Services for the St. Louis County Department of Public Health, said the department adheres to immunization guidelines for adults of all ages. They also offer vaccines to both city and county residents.
“Individuals that are over the age of 55, we would highly recommend they receive the influenza vaccine annually,” Dr. Echols said, “as well as receive a dose of Tdap or TD, and get a booster every 10 years.”
For pregnant women, the CDC recommends one dose of Tdap during every pregnancy to help protect the baby.
If you had chicken pox as a child, that virus could reactivate in older adults in the form of blistery, painful and contagious shingles. Echols said there is a vaccine for that.
“Individuals over the age of 60, we recommend they receive the herpes zoster virus vaccine to protect themselves as well. That is the shingles vaccine,” he said. “It can help prevent them from getting shingles, or if they do develop shingles, the course will be less severe than if they hadn’t received the vaccine.”
The legions from shingles rash can be contagious in the blister phase, Dr. Echols said, if there is direct contact. He said it’s important not to expose children or infants who haven’t received the chicken pox vaccine or had the disease.
At age 65 and up, a pneumococcal vaccine is recommended to protect against pneumonia, depending on your age and health condition.
There are vaccine restrictions for persons with certain health conditions, Dr. Echols said.
“For individuals who are immune-compromised, we typically make sure they are avoiding any live vaccines, which includes the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. However, they can still receive the inactivated vaccine,” he said. “The most common inactivated vaccines would be the pneumococcal or the inactivated influenza vaccine given annually.”
For the 2017-2018 flu season, Dr. Echols said St. Louis County Department of Public Health will offer a community flu shot clinic at each of its health centers in September. He said influenza viruses are constantly changing, and each year the flu vaccine is updated to match circulating flu viruses. This year there will be no live nasal spray vaccines.
“Based off the data that was collected in 2015 influenza season, when they did an assessment of the live vaccine during that time, it was determined that the live vaccine was not as effective as they thought it was going to be,” Dr. Echols said.
Flu shots at the St. Louis County clinic locations are free for uninsured children from age 2 to 18. Children must be accompanied by a parent or a guardian. Uninsured adults will be charged $25 for flu shots. If you have health insurance, bring your insurance card.
The first flu shot clinic takes place on Saturday, September 9 at the North Central Clinic at 4000 Jennings Station Road in Pine Lawn (63121). The second clinic is on Saturday, September 16 at the John C. Murphy Clinic at 6121 N. Hanley Rd. in Berkeley (63134). The third clinic is on Saturday, September 23 at South County Health Center, 4580 S. Lindbergh in Sunset Hills (63127). Each of the clinics will run from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
“We want to make sure we provide each area of the county with an opportunity to get the influenza vaccine,” Dr. Echols said, “but most importantly we want to make sure that community that we are serving is protected. And the best way to do that is by making sure they have access to the vaccine prior to the season actually starting.”
For more information about CDC immunization recommendations by age and by certain health conditions, visit http://bit.ly/2wFvT97 and click the link for “Adult Vaccinations.”
The St. Louis County Department of Public Health will offer flu shot clinics:
- Saturday, September 9 at the North Central Clinic at 4000 Jennings Station Road in Pine Lawn (63121).
- Saturday, September 16 at the John C. Murphy Clinic at 6121 N. Hanley Rd. in Berkeley (63134).
- Saturday, September 23 at South County Health Center, 4580 S. Lindbergh in Sunset Hills (63127).
Each of the clinics will run from 9:30 a.m. until 2:30 p.m.
