Gannett Health Services
Ho Plaza
Cornell University
Ithaca, NY 14853-3101
Tel: 607 255-5155
Email: gannett@cornell.edu
Don't take chances with your health when it's so easy to reduce your risk of disease by getting vaccinated. Please call us at 255-5155 with your questions about vaccinations, costs, side effects, and to schedule an appointment to get your vaccination(s). Or stop by Gannett--we might have an opening. Don't forget to watch for fall immunization clinics at convenient campus locations.
Chicken Pox (Varicella)
Hepatitis B
Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)
Influenza
Meningococcal
Travel vaccinations
Other vaccinations
College students without a history of chickenpox or prior immunization against it are urged by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American College Health Association (ACHA) to get vaccinated against the disease.
Chickenpox, or varicella, is a highly contagious childhood disease that can be severe in adults. About four million Americans develop chickenpox each year. Adults, including college students, are 10 times more likely to develop complications from the disease. Chickenpox is usually mild in children but can be severe in adults and lead to severe skin infection, scars, pneumonia, brain damage, or death. Each year, nearly 11,000 people require hospitalization and 100 die due to complications. Chickenpox is spread from person to person through the air or by contact with fluid from chickenpox blisters and can spread more easily in the close quarters of a college environment. Almost everyone who has not had chickenpox will get the disease by adulthood.
The chickenpox vaccine is approximately 80-90 percent effective in preventing disease. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. People over the age of 13 should have two doses at least a month apart. Most people who get vaccinated will not get chickenpox; and if they do get chickenpox, it is usually very mild.
A Gannett nurse or clinician will be happy to talk with you about chicken pox, the vaccination, its benefits, side effects, and cost. General information also is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Health experts recommend college students get vaccinated against hepatitis B, a serious liver disease that infects an estimated 200,000 Americans each year, the majority of whom are adolescents and young adults.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend vaccination of everyone 18 years of age and under, as well as other students at high risk for hepatitis B. The American College Health Association (ACHA) encourages immunization for all college students, and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) urges all college athletes to be vaccinated.
Hepatitis B is spread when the blood or other body fluids (semen, vaginal fluids, and saliva) of a person with the virus are absorbed into an individual’s blood stream, either through broken skin or a mucous membrane. It can be transmitted through sexual contact; contact sports; while helping someone who is injured; sharing razors, pierced earrings, or needles; getting a tattoo or body piercing; or while traveling to high-risk areas. Living in close quarters, like a college dormitory, may also increase the risk of exposure to carriers. About half of all people infected with hepatitis B — and therefore able to transmit it to others — don’t know they’re infected. Hepatitis B symptoms can resemble the flu and may include fever, loss of appetite, low energy, joint pain, cramping, nausea and vomiting, and jaundice (yellow skin or eyes).
The hepatitis B vaccine is 96 percent effective following a series of three shots over a six-month period. The most common side effect of the vaccine is soreness at the site of the injection. Vaccine recipients cannot get the disease from the vaccine.
A Gannett nurse or clinician will be happy to talk with you about hepatitis B, the vaccination, its benefits, side effects, and cost. General information also is available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
In Fall, 2006, the American College Health Association (ACHA) added the HPV vaccine to its list of recommended prematriculation immunizations. There are over 100 strains of HPV. Those of greatest concern cause genital warts and cervical cancer. The new, highly-effective HPV vaccination protects a woman from the four most virulent strains of HPV and reduces the potential of cervical cancer later in life. A three-dose regimen (given at 0, 2 and 6 months) is recommended for females aged 11-26 years. Gannett offers the vaccination to students by appointment.
Flu (short for influenza) is a viral infection of the respiratory tract (nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs). People who have the flu usually notice severe symptoms, such as fever, chills, headache, and general muscle aches, which develop suddenly. These symptoms may be severe for two or three days, during which most people find it difficult to do anything but lie down.
Sore throat, runny nose, dry hacking cough, and chest discomfort may also accompany the flu. Recovery usually takes three to seven days, but tiredness and a persistent cough can last several days longer.
Flu season in the United States usually occurs between November and April.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend that students and staff at colleges (especially those who share close quarters) consider getting the flu vaccine. In spite of rumors to the contrary, getting a flu vaccine does not give you the flu. You may have a sore spot on your arm for a day or two, but it won't set you back on your study, work or fun! Gannett encourages members of the Cornell community to get this extra dose of prevention.
More information about flu vaccine at Cornell
More information about flu (influenza)
The American College Health Association and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend that first year college students living in residence halls get vaccinated to reduce their risk of meningococcal disease. (First year college students who live in residence halls are at higher risk for meningococcal disease compared to other people of the same age.) All other students who wish to reduce their risk of vaccine should also consider vaccination.
In addition, New York State Public Health Law requires that all registered students receive information about meningococcal disease and vaccination and either get the vaccine or sign a form indicating their awareness of the risk and choice not to get the vaccine. (To learn about this form, visit the Requirements section of this web site.)
The meningococcal vaccine protects against four of the five most common strains (or types) of N. meningitidis (A, C, Y, and W-135). In persons 15 to 24 years of age, 70 to 80 percent of cases are caused by potentially vaccine-preventable strains. The vaccine is an injection with infrequent and mild side effects.
A Gannett nurse or clinician will be happy to talk with you about meningococcal disease, the vaccination, its benefits, side effects, and cost.
Gannett's Travel Clinic provides care essential for international travelers. If your plans involve world travel, be sure that you take full advantage of this convenient campus resource. Based on your travel itinerary and health history, we will give you up-to-date and comprehensive information on immunization requirements for travel anywhere in the world.
Gannett can give you information about other vaccinations, as well, including:
Call us at 255-5155: Gannett nurse or clinician will be happy to talk with you about all of our vaccinations, their benefits, side effects, and costs.
Emergencies
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