As college students return to campuses across Iowa, they’re encouraged to get vaccinated for the potential killer disease meningitis. Kevin Teale, spokesman for the Iowa Department of Public Health, says a wide segment of the population could benefit from the shot, not just college kids. Teale says people between the ages of 11 and 64 are encouraged to get the shot, especially if they’re in an area where large groups of people share utensils and living facilities, like a college dorm, a common way the illness is spread. Teale says a new version of the vaccine is in short supply, but the older version is still readily available.He says the previous vaccine is in fair supply but the newer one is in short supply due to the high demand now at the start of the school year. Teale says the newer vaccine is the shot of choice as it’s expected to protect a person from meningitis for a longer period of time.
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