SC universities and colleges must do more to get students vaccinated
Earlier this school year both the College of Charleston and Clemson had outbreaks of mumps, a highly contagious disease that is preventable through the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine.
As the incidence of vaccine-preventable diseases continues to rise, college students are at an increased risk given the close quarters many of us live in. And for immunosuppressed students like me, these outbreaks are life-threatening.
Unfortunately, the inconsistent immunization requirements at South Carolina’s higher education institutions continue to endanger those who cannot be immunized. That’s why to protect all students, South Carolina’s colleges and universities should adopt immunization policies that mirror the recommendations that have been laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
When I was 13, I was diagnosed with common variable immune deficiency; this means that I am incredibly susceptible to infections, and that my body does not create the antibodies necessary to fight vaccine-preventable illnesses like the flu or measles.
I rely on lifetime monthly immunoglobulin infusions that are derived from human plasma donations; these infusions contain antibodies that help me fight infections and improve my quality of life. However, these infusions are not a cure and my immune system still struggles in various ways.
Many people can have this deficiency — including infants, geriatrics and those with medical conditions like cancer — and because we are unable to be fully protected, we rely on those around us to be fully vaccinated and healthy. This is called “herd immunity,” and it can be created when people in communities follow the vaccination schedules that have been recommended by physicians and the government. But when people don’t follow the vaccination schedules, it puts immunocompromised individuals like me at high risk.
Currently South Carolina follows the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendation that children in nursery, preschool and K-12 schools be fully vaccinated against 14 different diseases — with exemptions allowed only for medical and religious reasons.
However, South Carolina does not set immunization requirements after 12th grade; it allows colleges and universities across the state to set their own policies. In addition, immunization requirements at most major colleges and universities in South Carolina differ widely, and getting information on the vaccination rates at individual campuses can be extremely difficult to do.
I am currently a freshman at the University of South Carolina and while the school requires the measles, mumps and rubella and meningitis vaccines, that does not mean that every student is vaccinated. Furthermore USC does not include a recommendation for the meningitis B vaccine, which is a deadly and prevalent strain on college campuses that spreads in close living quarters — for example, the required on-campus dormitories for freshmen.
It’s time for university immunization requirements to be updated to mirror the recommendations of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — which includes its recommendation that students get the flu vaccine each year.
If USC should have an outbreak of measles, mumps or even the flu, my health and that of others who cannot be medically immunized would be at risk. We need every student who can medically do so to follow the vaccine schedules that have been recommended by physicians and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in order to improve herd immunity — and help to protect people like me.
It’s simple: anyone who can be vaccinated, should be vaccinated.
Jessica Goddard is a freshman in USC’s Honors College and is studying public health and political science.
This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 3:26 PM.