Cases of W bacterial Meningococcal Meningitis (Men W) have increased by a factor of almost 10X in the United Kingdom in the last 5 years.

MenW is a highly aggressive strain of meningitis and presents an increasing health risk particularly to university students.   University students’ life styles tend to make them more susceptible to meningitis and other contagious diseases.  College students often live in crowded conditions and come in contact with a large number of people.  Some of these contacts are with people who are healthy carriers of the bacteria that can spread the MenW disease.  Anyone in the college age group (17 and up) are encouraged to get vaccinated with the MenACWY vaccine even if they don’t attend college.  The number of healthy carriers in the young adult age group is two and one-half times higher than in the general population.  Only by getting vaccinated can college age people be protected.  So don’t be procrastinate!  It just might save your life!

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