Media Advisory/Photo Opportunity: CSU Meningococcal Vaccine Clinic
What: Colorado State University students, employees and members of their households 29 years and younger are being provided with free meningococcal disease vaccines as a strategy state and local health officials believe will help prevent additional meningococcal disease illnesses in Larimer County. As of 11 a.m. today (Thursday), more than 4,100 members of the CSU community were already pre-registered for the clinic.
When/Where: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 5, at the CSU Student Recreation Center on the CSU campus.
Reporters are invited to cover the clinic, but need to work through the Joint Information Center at the clinic to obtain permission from students, employees and others to get images or interviews due to student and medical privacy laws. The university requires those participants to sign a waiver. Public information officers from the participating organizations will be on hand to help identify clinic participants for the media.
Reporters are not required to RSVP, but should check in with the PIOs at the Media Check In tent outside the entrance to the Student Recreation Center from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday for interview, footage and photo opportunities.
Details: The Colorado Department of Public Health and the Environment recommends all CSU students and employees 29 years of age and younger receive a meningococcal vaccination if they have not received one within the past three years. Following CDPHE recommendations, the free vaccine clinic is available to anyone 2 to 29 years old who is a:
– CSU student 29 years old or younger;
– CSU employee 29 years old or younger;
– Household member of a CSU student or employee (family members and roommates) who are 2 to 29 years old.
CDPHE is providing vaccine for free for the CSU clinic.
Background summary:
• The Fort Collins community has seen a higher than usual number of serious meningococcal infections over the last five months (June, 2010 through October, 2010).
• Christina Adame, a CSU student died from the infection on Oct. 20.
• The state has confirmed seven meningococcal disease cases linked to the outbreak in Larimer County. One of those lived in the Denver area with links to the CSU campus community. Five cases, including the one in Denver, resulted in death.
• T he Centers for Disease Control declared an outbreak of meningococcal disease in Fort Collins.
• Vaccines are being encouraged to prevent meningococcal disease and reduce the risk of additional cases of the disease
• College students are at a higher risk of meningococcal disease due to their age and lifestyle, such as living in crowded spaces and being more likely to share food, drinks, smokes, and utensils when socializing.
For more information, visit http://safety.colostate.edu/ or www.larimer.org/health.
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