WASHINGTON, D.C.—Senator Susan Collins today announced that she is an original cosponsor of legislation to raise public awareness about the risks of bacterial meningitis and the effectiveness of vaccinations.
Bacterial meningitis affects 3,000 people across the United States each year. Approximately 10 percent of patients with bacterial meningitis die despite receiving antibiotics early in the course of the disease. Meningitis occurs most frequently in infants and young adults living in dormitory settings. The disease can result in permanent brain damage, hearing loss, learning disability, limb amputation, kidney failure or death.
“Bacterial meningitis is a terrible illness, but it is an illness that is often preventable with a vaccination,” said Senator Collins. “It is important that we do all that we can to provide parents with information about the symptoms and the availability and effectiveness of vaccinations for children and adults.”
The “Meningitis Immunization Awareness Act,” introduced by Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX), would require the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to make available information about bacterial meningitis and the effectiveness of vaccinations. The information would be distributed at institutions, including child care centers, schools, universities, boarding schools, summer camps, detention facilities, and other entities that provide housing in a dormitory-like setting.
###