Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two college students. No one has every checked vaccine records. They attend college in PA. Why would it matter? Have you checked your child's high school rates?

They really should. Meningitis used to kill a lot of college students—it’s so great that there is a vaccine for it now. Even with measles — if you have congregate living with hundreds of kids in dorms, even if they are all vaccinated a couple might get sick. If you have a bunch unvaccinated, it will spread like wildfire. They should at least mandate it for people living in dorms.

Mine just got his first of the two set shot for meningitis (high school senior). We timed it so the second shot happens a few weeks before presumed move in date depending on which school he ends up choosing.

We don’t mess around with this stuff.

Was also time for a booster (I think it was measles) so he got that, too.

Meningitis is extremely deadly and contagious- our DC's college required full vaccination including against subtype B

Gift article on this topic: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/2025/09/vaccine-mandates-college-outbreaks/684237/?gift=5g79qpiegVsh0s79kpMrY_P-sOl63YI0Bx-GcMJqDvw&utm_source=copy-link&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=share

There is also an article in the Post this week but no gift link.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two college students. No one has every checked vaccine records. They attend college in PA. Why would it matter? Have you checked your child's high school rates?

They really should. Meningitis used to kill a lot of college students—it’s so great that there is a vaccine for it now. Even with measles — if you have congregate living with hundreds of kids in dorms, even if they are all vaccinated a couple might get sick. If you have a bunch unvaccinated, it will spread like wildfire. They should at least mandate it for people living in dorms.

Mine just got his first of the two set shot for meningitis (high school senior). We timed it so the second shot happens a few weeks before presumed move in date depending on which school he ends up choosing. We don’t mess around with this stuff.

Was also time for a booster (I think it was measles) so he got that, too.

I will never understand the attitude that one shouldn’t concern themselves with the vaccination status of others. As earlier posters mentioned, we depend on herd immunity and even effective vaccines aren’t 100% meaning some kids can still be vulnerable. As a parent of an immune-suppressed college student, I beg others to reconsider their anti-vaccine stance. These vaccines are extensively tested and very safe for your young adult child and you have the potential to spare another from suffering.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two college students. No one has every checked vaccine records. They attend college in PA. Why would it matter? Have you checked your child's high school rates?

They really should. Meningitis used to kill a lot of college students—it’s so great that there is a vaccine for it now. Even with measles — if you have congregate living with hundreds of kids in dorms, even if they are all vaccinated a couple might get sick. If you have a bunch unvaccinated, it will spread like wildfire. They should at least mandate it for people living in dorms.

Why? Care about your own grown adult child. Get vaccinated and keep your nose out of other peoples business.

DP

Because public health requires broad participation in vaccination.

A UVA student died recently of meningitis.

I have two kids in college and both required proof of vaccinations to enroll.

Bowdoin in particular seemed to require more records than the other SLAC. They warned that if a student showed up for move-in without all the necessary documentation, they would not be allowed to move-in until they provided proof.

Vaccines don't work in a vacuum. Many require 95% vaccination rates for herd immunity. If you don't understand herd immunity, please educate yourself before commenting.

https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22599-herd-immunity

Anonymous wrote:I have two college students. No one has every checked vaccine records. They attend college in PA. Why would it matter? Have you checked your child's high school rates?

This surprises me greatly. My kid wasn't allowed to enroll until she'd sent proof of the meningitis vaccine (the only one she was missing in July before her first year).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have two college students. No one has every checked vaccine records. They attend college in PA. Why would it matter? Have you checked your child's high school rates?

They really should. Meningitis used to kill a lot of college students—it’s so great that there is a vaccine for it now. Even with measles — if you have congregate living with hundreds of kids in dorms, even if they are all vaccinated a couple might get sick. If you have a bunch unvaccinated, it will spread like wildfire. They should at least mandate it for people living in dorms.

Why? Care about your own grown adult child. Get vaccinated and keep your nose out of other peoples business.

You do know that vaccines require herd immunity to really work, right? The measles vaccine is 95% effective. That means there is 1 out of 20 kids who are vaccinated who will still get measles if exposed to it. So yes, while I will make sure my kids are fully vaccinated before college, I would prefer not to send them to a dorm full of unvaccinated kids. We all know how much colds and stomach viruses spread like wildfire in college dorms. Would prefer that measles and meningitis not do that.

WRONG - We have 2 currently in college, one private in New England and one Public in the Midwest, and both required the kids vaccinations before attending. And at least the one in New England really looked, because they questioned one of the kids vaccines, and I had to have their doctor write a note

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Just have your kid get all their vaccinations.

+1 it’s private medical information.

An individual's vaccination status is private medical information. A population's vaccination status may or may not be.