Required Meningitis Vaccination
- Students over 30 years of age
- Students who take only online or distance education courses
- Current students of LSCS or another institution of higher education before January 1, 2012
AND who have been enrolled without a break of at least one fall or spring semester - Individuals who are dual-credit students from a Texas Independent School District
- Students enrolled in a non-credit course or program that is less than 360 contact hours, or non-credit corporate training.
Lone Star College will not prevent students from registering for classes because the vaccination has not been administered.
The compliance date for an individual student may be extended and Lone Star College will work with all students to help them come into compliance.
Proof of Vaccination
Lone Star College has partnered with Magnus Health SMR (Student Medical Records), an electronic system for tracking and storing the bacterial meningitis immunizations and exemptions.
- Once you have applied for admission to LSCS and are ready to upload your documents, you must log into myLoneStar and access the link to create a personal account with Magnus Health SMR. There is a $10 charge to create the personal student account with Magnus Health SMR; students are responsible for paying this administrative fee directly to Magnus when they set up an account.
- After you successfully create your Magnus Health SMR account, you will be given information on how to electronically submit meningitis vaccination documentation required and comply with Texas state law. Proof of bacterial meningitis vaccination or any exemption from this vaccine must be submitted through Magnus Health SMR.
- Magnus Health SMR will send email notifications to your LoneStar.edu email account with any additional instructions or notifications regarding your vaccination verification process.
About Magnus Health SMR
Magnus Health Student Medical Records (SMR) is used by more than 900 schools for managing school health records. Lone Star College System has adopted this system because it:
- Reduces the future burden of paperwork on our students.
- Provides HIPAA and FERPA privacy and security practices to the information
- Makes this information instantly available to you if the need arises in the future.
- Advances the speed of care and communication to you in the event of an outbreak or illness on campus.
Evidence Requirements
Evidence of Vaccination must show that the vaccination was received at least 10 days prior to attending classes. Evidence of Vaccination must be submitted in one of the following formats:A vaccination form signed or stamped by a physician
A document bearing the signature or stamp of the physician or his/her designee, or public health personnel (must include the month, day, and year the vaccination was administered).
Official state or local immunization record
An official immunization record generated from a state or local health authority. The immunization record must include the month, day, and year the vaccination was administered.
An official record received from school officials, including a record from another state that includes the month, day, and year the vaccination was administered.
Exemptions/Exceptions
A student, or a parent or guardian of a student, is not required to submit evidence of receiving the vaccination against bacterial meningitis if the student, or a parent or guardian of a student, submits to the institution the following evidence to decline vaccination:
Medical exemption
An affidavit or a certificate signed by a physician who is duly registered and licensed to practice medicine in the United States, in which it is stated that, in the physician's judgment, the vaccination required would be injurious to the health and well-being of the student.
An affidavit signed by the student stating that the student declines the vaccination for bacterial meningitis for reasons of conscience, including a religious belief. A conscientious exemption form from the Texas Department of State Health Services.
Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery.
Exemption Information & Forms
Considerations
Remember, even if you are exempt from the bacterial meningitis vaccination, you are strongly encouraged to obtain the vaccinations before registering at Lone Star College. Please keep in mind the following considerations.
- The bacterial meningitis vaccination must be administered by a Health Practitioner authorized by law to administer an immunization.
- Vaccinations older than 5 years will require a booster
- All students must receive the bacterial meningitis vaccination at least 10 days prior to the start of the semester.
About Bacterial Meningitis
Meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that cover the brain and spinal cord. Meningitis is usually caused by a viral or bacterial infection. The severity of illness and treatment differs depending on whether it is caused by a virus or bacterium. Viral meningitis is generally less severe and clears up without specific treatment. Bacterial meningitis can be severe and may result in brain damage, hearing loss, or learning disabilities. It is also important to know what type of bacterial meningitis, because antibiotics can prevent some types from spreading and infecting other people.
Haemophilus influenzaetype b (Hib) was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis before the 1990s. Since the Hib vaccine is now given to all children as part of their routine immunizations, the number of Hib infections and related meningitis cases has declined. Streptococcus pneumoniae and Neisseria meningitidis are now the leading causes of bacterial meningitis.
High fever, headache, and stiff neck are common symptoms of meningitis in anyone over the age of 2 years. These symptoms can develop over several hours or take 1 to 2 days. Other symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, discomfort looking into bright lights, confusion, and sleepiness. Infants with meningitis may appear slow or inactive, have vomiting, be irritable, or feeding poorly. As the disease progresses, patients of any age may have seizures.
Some forms of bacterial meningitis are contagious. The bacteria is mainly spread from person to person through the exchange of respiratory and throat secretions. This can occur through coughing, kissing, and sneezing, yet none of the bacteria that cause meningitis are as contagious as the common cold or flu. The bacteria are not spread by casual contact or by simply breathing the air where a person with meningitis has been.
Sometimes the bacteria that cause meningitis have spread to other people who have had close or prolonged contact with a patient with meningococcal meningitis or Hib. People in the same household or daycare center or anyone with direct contact with a patient's oral secretions (such as a boyfriend or girlfriend) would be considered at increased risk of getting the infection. People who qualify as close contacts of a person with meningitis caused by N. meningitides should receive antibiotics (prophylaxis) to prevent them from getting the disease. This is if there is 1 household contact younger than 48 months who has not been fully immunized against Hib or a child with a weakened immune system, then the entire household, regardless of age, should receive prophylaxis.
Reducing Your Risks of Infection
Follow good hygiene practices:
- Wash your hands thoroughly and often
- Clean contaminated surfaces with soap and water or a disinfecting solution.
- Cover your cough by coughing into your upper arm or using a tissue. After using a tissue, place it in the trash and wash your hands.
- Avoid kissing or sharing a drinking glass, eating utensil, lipstick, or other such items with sick people or with others when you are sick.
- Receiving vaccinations as recommended.
- Try to avoiding bites from mosquitoes and other insects that carry diseases that can infect humans
- If you have a rodent infestation in and around your home, take cleaning and control precautions as recommended by the CDC.
The CDC and Texas State Department of Health Services provide the following general guidelines to determine when one can return to work after developing meningitis:
NOTE: Individuals who have had meningitis should stay away from school and work for as long as symptoms exist. This could be for an extended period of time. It is highly recommended that an individual seek guidance from their health care professional or the local health department to determine when it is appropriate to return to work or school.
