By TANGELA J. JOHNSON

Staff Writer

College students who have not had their meningitis vaccinations are at high risk for illness and even death.

College students are encouraged to get vaccinated against meningitis by the Centers for Disease Control and the American College Health Association, Paige Pickett, head nurse and director of the University Health Center, said.

Pickett also said the shot is only $65 on campus as opposed to being almost double that price at the doctor's office.

Pickett said the biggest reason college students are at risk is because of their lifestyles.

"College students have a greater potential of getting the disease due to the features of college life," Pickett said.

Those features include exposure to cigarette smoke, sharing cigarettes, drinking after one another and living in crowded dormitories.

"[Symptoms include] inflammation of the lining of the brain or spinal cord caused by viruses or bacteria," Pickett said.

She said symptoms of the infection also include headache, stiff neck and fever.

Carrie McCullin, infection control coordinator for Lincoln General Hospital, located at 401 E. Vaughn Ave., listed high fever as another symptom.

McCullin also said, "There are some things that can happen such as hearing and vision loss."

McCullin said this potentially deadly disease should be treated in its early stages.

"Early diagnoses and treatment are important," McCullin said.

McCullin said she urges all who experience these symptoms to see a doctor immediately.

Kelley Garner, a sophomore biology major, said she made getting the shot a top priority.

"I got [the shot] when I was 18 before I came to school," Garner said.

One of the reasons Garner said she believes it is so vital that students get vaccinated is because of the symptoms.

"You don't really know you have it till it's too late," Garner said. "You just think you have the flu."