These flu-like symptoms are also a prologue to a more serious disease called meningitis. Meningitis, an inflammation of the meninges of the brain, often appears to be no more than the flu. However, as the disease progresses, the dangers increase.

And the disease is more prevalent among a group of people who might ignore the symptoms or put off going to the doctor — college students.

After two national television shows devoted segments to meningitis among college students, concerned parents called colleges around the country — including Catawba, which is now making a vaccine available to students.

Meningitis is usually diagnosed in young people ages 15 to 24. According to Candy Miller, nurse at Catawba College, college students are most susceptible because of the way they live.

“They live in dorm rooms. Those tight quarters cause them to be more at risk,” she said.

There are two different types of meningitis, bacterial and viral. The most common type, bacterial, is contagious and potentially fatal.

Recently, two television shows, 20/20 and Good Morning America, have devoted segments of their program to meningitis among college students. Miller believes that the television programs have caused people to panic about the disease. Though the disease is dangerous, it is not running rampant on college campuses, said Miller. In fact, meningitis is an uncommon disease.

“People get upset just because it was on 20/20. There is no cause for concern,” she said.

Catawba College is now offering the meningitis vaccine Menomune to students. According to Miller, this is not a cause for parents to be worried about their college-age children.

Catawba decided to offer the meningitis vaccine for two reasons, Miller said.

First, the Centers for Disease Control recommends that people 15 to 24 years old get a vaccination because of their high susceptibility to the disease. So the college decided to take the federal agency’s advice. Other colleges around the United States also have begun administering the vaccine for the same reason.

“We have never had an outbreak, and we don’t anticipate having one. We are doing this because the CDC recommends it,” she said.

Second, Catawba officials wanted to ease parents’ worries. The college sent a letter to all parents three weeks ago, giving a description of meningitis and offering vaccines to anyone who paid the $60 fee.

Miller was happy with the response. So far, 120 students have sent in their order for the vaccine.

“I was surprised we got that many because we only have a little over 1,000 students,” she said.

Vaccinations begin Monday, and Miller hopes that all the students will receive them by the Thanksgiving holiday. Since some students missed the deadline for the vaccinations, Catawba will offer the vaccine again after students return from their Christmas vacation.

At other area colleges, concern over meningitis has varied. Pfeiffer College has received only a handful of calls from parents, and Livingstone College has not received any calls concerning the disease. However, a few students at Livingstone have shown their concern by inquiring about the disease.