Hays ? Fort Hays State University is joining a growing number of colleges that are requiring students living on-campus to be vaccinated against bacterial meningitis or sign a waiver.

Kansas University announced a similar policy last fall. And several states have passed laws requiring the immunization.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention began recommending that colleges tell students and parents about meningitis and the benefits of immunization in 1999 after studies showed students in group living arrangements are at a greater risk of contracting the disease.

Bacterial meningitis, which can lead to inflammation of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord, afflicts about 3,000 Americans each year, with between 100 and 125 cases on college campuses.

About 10 percent to 15 percent of those who contract the disease die, and others experience side effects such as brain damage, hearing loss or learning disabilities, experts say.

In April 2004 at KU, a student who contracted the disease had parts of both feet and both hands amputated. A Wichita State University student died at home from the disease in January 2004.

“When you have an opportunity to protect students rather than waiting for there to be an outbreak and react to it, it’s much more cost-effective for everyone involved,” said Patti Scott, director of student health at Fort Hays State University.

Fort Hays State University students must either get the $85 vaccine at the Student Health Center or receive the immunization from their own medical providers. Students can sign a waiver stating they understand the risks of not getting the vaccine.