by Bob Groves
The Record (Bergen County, N.J.)
HACKENSACK, N.J. - For the price of a pair of sneakers, John Kach probably could have saved his fingers and legs.
Kach, a college student in Rhode Island, believes vaccination against meningitis would have kept him from contracting the bacterial illness - which most likely happened in his dormitory - that led to the loss of his limbs four years ago. If only he had gotten that shot, which costs about $85.
"I went to the doctor's office for a physical. They recommended getting vaccinated, but they didn't have vaccine at the office," Kach said during a teleconference sponsored by the federal Centers for Disease Control and the National Meningitis Association.
"I figured, meningitis, whatever ... I went to school and didn't get (immunized) there," he said. "I played basketball, had a good time. I didn't get to it. I regret it."
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Every year, about 125 college students like Kach contract meningitis, and five to 15 of them die.
The risk of dying is six times higher for students in dormitories, particularly freshmen, according to the American College Health Association. Up to 80 percent of those college cases are preventable with vaccine, the organization said.
In general, the vaccine is 85 to 100 percent effective in preventing meningitis in older children and adults.
Thirty-one states require all freshmen and transfer students who plan to live in college campus housing either to be immunized against meningitis or to be educated about the disease before they start school.
Meningitis is a form of meningococcal disease that inflames the membranes of the brain and spinal cord. Another form, meningococcemia, infects the blood. Meningococcal disease strikes about 2,500 Americans every year, causing death in up to 15 percent of cases.
The deadly, contagious bacterial bug is carried in small droplets. It can be spread by a kiss, a cough, a drink, a smoke, a sneeze - especially in close quarters, such as a college dorm.
Bacterial meningitis can cause brain damage, hearing loss and learning disability.
There is also a viral form of the disease, which is less severe and usually resolves without specific treatment.
Kach had a severe case. One day in 2000, Kach was in his dorm when he developed flu-like symptoms that included vomiting and a 104-degree temperature. When he was no better the next morning, his girlfriend took him to a hospital.
He developed red and purple blotches on his arms and back. A blood test showed he had 10 times the normal number of white blood cells, which fight infection. His lungs and kidneys were shutting
down.
"My blood was curdling, like milk," said Kach, who developed gangrene in his hands and legs.
Eventually, doctors had to amputate most of his fingers and both his legs below the knee.
"It's such a rare disease, but to me, it's not so rare," Kach said. "I've seen people suffer and die from it. A lot of people are not as lucky as I am."
He now advises high school seniors to get vaccinated before they go off to school.
The vaccine protects against four of five strains of bacterial meningitis, though there is no vaccine for viral meningitis.
Not all insurance companies cover the shot's cost.
