cornellsun.com/node/28902 -
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Published on: 3/24/2008
Last Visited: 3/24/2008
A little over two weeks after the initial scare, the two students, a 21-year-old female and a 20-year-old male, have been released from their respective hospitals and are doing well, according to Dr. Janet Corson-Rikert, executive director of Gannett Health Services.
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"Currently two different meningococcal vaccines are available in the U.S., both of which provide protection against four of the five serogroups of the bacteria; A, C, Y and W-135," Corson-Rikert stated in an e-mail.
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According to Corson-Rikert, Cornell employs multiple strategies to reduce the likelihood of infectious diseases in the community.Gannett provides information about vaccinations, promotes general public health strategies and works with the Tompkins County Health Department to "conduct ‘contact tracing' and make treatment recommendations on a case-by-case basis when individuals become ill with an infection that has significant public health import," Corson-Rikert stated in the e-mail.
However, most health insurance plans, including Cornell's Student Health Insurance Plan, do not cover the cost of the meningococcal vaccine, which is available at Gannett for $105.
"Ultimately, an individual's best defense is in behavioral choices," Corson-Rikert stated.
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Corson-Rikert acknowledged that the U.S. is overdue for an influenza pandemic, which she said, "has the potential to wreak havoc around the world."She assured that the University is actively working to prepare a coordinated response, should such an outbreak occur.
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