SAN DIEGO (KGTV) -- Starting Friday, San Diego State University will open vaccination clinics meant to protect students against meningitis B.
The clinics will be held Friday, October 5 and Monday, October 8 between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. at Viejas Arena.
The university says it’s encouraging all undergraduate students age 23 and younger who haven’t been fully immunized to get vaccinated.
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"Some people are trying to make it not a joke," said Lizbeth, a student who's already been vaccinated. "But trying to look at the bright side and trying not to be too worried about it."
The school says, for those who have only received one dose, it’s important to complete the series to improve protection. The clinics are planned following the declaration of an outbreak at the school.
The outbreak was declared after a second student was hospitalized with meningococcal meningitis. Health officials announced that the male student showed symptoms of meningitis on September 25.
Testing later confirmed the student’s illness. Earlier in September, a female student was diagnosed with meningitis and also had to be hospitalized.
County Public Health Officer Wilma Wooten advised all SDSU undergraduate students to get the vaccine or undergo treatment if symptoms develop.
"Although most students on the SDSU campus have been vaccinated as teenagers with a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine, many have not gotten the serogroup B vaccine, which is needed to protect against the bacteria that has caused these recent illnesses," Wooten said. "Meningococcal disease can be serious and deadly, so we want anyone to be alert for symptoms and seek care should they occur."
Meningococcal bacteria can be spread through intimate contact like kissing and sharing objects that come in contact with a person's mouth. County health officials said there have been 10 reported cases of meningococcal disease in the county this year, the highest reported number since 2013.
