Some Missouri students may face an unanticipated trip to the doctor before school starts back.
The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) is implementing a new rule that requires students entering eighth grade (or before age 16) to have a meningitis vaccination, with a booster vaccination before 12th grade.
"From a public health standpoint, I think it's a wonderful requirement," said Jessi Kempker, immunization coordinator for the Cole County Health Department. "It's been a recommended vaccine for quite some time, and definitely a disease I wouldn't want myself."
She urged parents to schedule their children's vaccinations early this summer to avoid trying to get last-minute appointments before school starts.
Insurance companies typically cover preventive care such as vaccines.
The disease is bacterial and is spread by person-to-person contact through respiratory droplets of infected people. Symptoms can mirror the flu, including a sudden high fever, stiff neck, headache and nausea.
From 2005-15, Missouri has had 162 confirmed/probable cases of meningitis, with 23 resulting in death.
"By requiring the meningococcal vaccination, we will help prevent deaths and life-long consequences for individuals contracting the disease," said Ryan Hobart, a DHSS spokesman, in an email.
Kempker said she believes Missouri's previous rate of vaccination rate has been around 60 percent for a first shot, which she said isn't bad compared to many other states.
The state Health Department implemented the rule after a public comment period, and on the recommendation of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Two doses of the vaccine are required unless the first dose was administered to a student who was 16 years of age or older. In that case, only one dose is required.
State law already requires students who live on public college campuses to have the vaccination.
Kempker acknowledged some parents are still opposed to meningitis vaccinations and vaccinations in general, believing they are a cause of autism. But she said scientific studies have debunked such beliefs.
"You are going to have parents who are hesitant, and a lot of that comes from doing their own research online and not knowing what the reliable sources are, (rather than) seeking education from someone who really knows."
In 2011, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that vaccine manufacturers are protected from lawsuits from parents who believe that vaccines harmed their children.
To find out other vaccination requirements, visit health.mo.gov/living/wellness/immunizations/pdf/1617schoolrequirements.pdf.