As the high school class of 2017 starts making summer plans, the state is urging them to vaccinate before they graduate. The message is specifically aimed at Meningitis.
The most-common vaccine only protects against four strains. Protection from Meningitis B requires a separate vaccine. It accounts for half of all cases in people ages 17 to 22.
The vaccine for Meningitis B didn't exist when Kalamazoo College student Emily Stillman died from the disease four years ago. It does now, and her mother is urging parents to get it for their kids.
Alicia Stillman said, "Vaccinate before you graduate, vaccinate any time you can, protect your family. My family has experienced a horrible loss from a hideous, hideous disease. Yours does not have to."
Meningitis spreads easily among college students because they live in close quarters and often exchange saliva through kissing or by sharing cups and utensils.
