State lawmakers are considering requiring a meningitis vaccine for children in school. Colleen Winter with the South Dakota Department of Health says the disease can be fatal, and large numbers of teens are vulnerable to the illness.
“If children aren’t vaccinated they can spread the disease to other children too young to be vaccinated, or people with weakened immune systems such as people with cancer or who are receiving chemotherapy and transplant recipients,” Winter says. “This can result in long-term complications, and even death for these vulnerable people. Meningococcal vaccine is safe. Side effects are similar to many other childhood vaccines which include redness or pain at the site, or slight fever. The risk of the disease far outweighs the side effects of the vaccine.”
Some members of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee want more information before making a decision on the measure. They want clarity on CDC recommendations. Senate Bill 28 is deferred until next week.