Protect Yourself

In the fall of 2005, then-freshman Ashley Lee was told by her family doctor that the vaccination for meningococcal disease, commonly known as meningitis, wasn’t that important. He told her that the disease was extremely rare, and that odds were she would be fine without it. He was wrong.

One month into the semester, Lee, who now studies biology, was admitted to the hospital with meningitis, a difficult to diagnose, deadly infection that affects 1,400 to 2,800 people every year, and kills one in four of the adolescents who contract it. Lee was lucky; she survived. The disease, which could have been prevented with a shot, left her without three of her fingers and her left foot.

After a four-month hospital stay and nearly a dozen surgeries, Lee began the rehabilitation process – which included learning to walk again – and returned to IU the following August. Since recovering, she has become a spokeswoman for the National Meningitis Association and works to promote awareness about the disease.

Q&A with Ashley Lee

Q: Some people think meningitis is something that will never happen to them. What do you say to them?

A: I thought that too. A lot of people have that misconception. But most people are unaware that there are three different types of the disease: viral, spinal and bacterial. Statistics say that one in 100,000 will get it. It can happen here.

Q: Why didn’t you choose to be vaccinated after your initial doctor’s visit?

A: I did, but he informed me that he was out of the vaccination. He said it had a short shelf life so he told me to get it at the Health Center, but I was a freshman and in the first few weeks of college – I wasn’t thinking about it. They don’t tell you how devastating the disease can be, or it might have been a priority.

Q: What kind of work do you do as a spokeswoman for the National Meningitis Association?

A: I’m traveling to Reno, Nevada this summer to the Hanger Prosthetics and Orthotics Convention. I kind of feel at home there. I used to joke and say it’s the only place I feel comfortable in a bikini. With the NMA, I ask my professors if I can do a short presentation to each class about being vaccinated.

Q: What do you think about the fact that IU doesn’t require a meningitis vaccination?

A: It’s a job for a big group of people. Right now, it would be hard – people can’t afford it in this economy. But, it is important.


Where to get the vaccination
The vaccine, MCV4, Menactra, can be administrated by your family doctor or by the IU Health Center, and usually costs between $75 and $105. To schedule an appointment with the Immunization Clinic, call 855-7688, or go online at www.healthcenter.indiana.edu.

Symptoms 
People who have contracted meningococcal meningitis experience a high fever and a severe sudden headache accompanied by mental changes, neck/back stiffness or rashes.

About meningitis
Although IU does not require the meningitis vaccine of its students, it is recommended. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention also warns of the risks of not being vaccinated:
“College freshmen who live in dormitories are at higher risk for meningococcal disease compared to other people of the same age. Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria that infects the bloodstream and the linings of the brain and spinal cord, causing serious illness. Every year in the United States 1,400 to 2,800 people get meningococcal disease . . . and 11-19 percent of survivors have permanent disabilities (such as mental retardation, hearing loss, and loss of limbs). The disease often begins with symptoms that can be mistaken for common illnesses, such as the flu. Meningococcal disease is particularly dangerous because it progresses rapidly and can kill within hours. Disease caused by meningococcal bacteria kills about 300 people each year in the United States.”