Meningitis prevention
A new state policy would require seventh graders statewide to get the meningitis vaccination.
MADISON – A new state Department of Health Services policy would require seventh graders throughout the state to get the meningitis vaccination.
An update to DHS Rule 144 would add the meningitis vaccine to the list of required vaccinations for students entering the seventh grade. The proposal says this requirement will “ease the burden on families, providers and schools” by ensuring vaccines are administered at the same visit and the same grade level.
The vaccine is key in the prevention of bacterial meningitis, according to the proposal. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention calls bacterial meningitis “very serious” and notes it can be deadly. The CDC says that while most people recover from the infection, it can cause permanent effects like brain damage, hearing loss and learning disabilities.
The disease is spread through direct contact, and people typically get vaccinated between the ages of 11 and 12 — just before seventh grade.
James Conway, a doctor who specializes in pediatric infectious diseases and member of a DHS advisory board, said meningitis vaccines have been recommended for years by leading health agencies. He added that the vast majority of kids in Wisconsin have the vacci
nation, but that the small number who don’t are vulnerable to the infection’s “devastating” effects.
Conway said a lot of families choose to only get the vaccines required for school. The inclusion of the meningitis vaccine would provide protection for all kids throughout the state.
“The big way to think about these things is all about equity and about giving every kid an equal opportunity to be protected against diseases equally,” he said.
The updated proposal also would require students to get a second booster meningitis vaccination before they graduate high school.
The proposal is facing some pushback from a number of parents and health care providers throughout Wisconsin.
Dozens of opponents of the mandate expressed concerns at a public hearing Friday about the lack of discussion surrounding the requirement and said it would take away the choice of parents.
Wade Anunson, vice president of the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin, said he understands that DHS is monitoring the safety of Wisconsinites but said there is no epidemic or public emergency that requires a “rush to mandate” new vaccinations.
Anunson said his organization is not anti-vaccination but rather an advocate for “personal freedom and the ability to make conscious and educated decisions” about health care.
“This is about parental rights,” he said. “It’s about taking away a human right and making them safe before they force them in our bodies.”
He said there is a lack of information about adverse reactions to vaccines. He said parents are told only about the benefits.
“As (parents) research they discover there are risks, but they aren’t talked about,” Anunson said. “They are not mentioned, so parents aren’t supposed to get a choice.”
People also took issue with the speed of Friday’s public hearing. One hour was allotted for public comment, and people had just two minutes to speak before they were cut off.
“This is being rushed,” said Lona Cook, president of the Chiropractic Society of Wisconsin. “If we are going to make changes like this — and there are obviously a lot of people who are concerned about the safety and just the need for this change — more time needs to be spent on it.”
Illinois, Iowa, Michigan and Minnesota all require students to get a meningitis vaccination. The requirements in Wisconsin would take effect for the 2021-22 school year.