Oregon State University will now require all its students age 25 or younger to get a vaccine against meningococcal disease by February 15th.
This after a sixth OSU student, a 21-year-old undergraduate, was diagnosed with the potentially deadly illness.
Charlie Fautin is Deputy Director of Benton County Public Health. He spoke at a press briefing Wednesday.
“This disease can progress from sort of feeling like you have the flu and feeling cruddy to being catastrophic very quickly. So it is important that students be aware and take care of each other and continue to be vigilant.”
Fautin says the 5 students previously sickened have made a full recovery.
The disease primarily afflicts young people and can spread in group living situations such as dormitories.
A University of Oregon student died during an outbreak on the Eugene campus in 2015.
