Meningococcal Disease Spreads Fear and Panic in New Jersey High School

On Sunday January 14, the news story broke in Wyckoff, New Jersey that two students had been seriously ill due to the Meningococcal disease. The two boys are on the school's hockey team and their serious illness has caused concern and fear in the local community. Some parents were willing to keep their children from going to the Ramapo High School because they didn't want their children to get the disease.

Heath Authorities on the Wyckoff Board of Health insisted that there was no immediate threat to the health of the children, saying that the disease could only be spread through direct contact with a person who has the Meningococcal disease.

The two boys who play for the varsity hockey team were diagnosed with the disease on Saturday night at St. Joseph's Hospital in Paterson, New Jersey. Health officials are not sure how the students got the disease but health officials believe that one boy might have given the disease to the other boy by sharing a water bottle, which is a direct contact of the disease since it is spread by bacteria. Teachers and parents are warning their children not to use any student's lipstick, chapstick or water bottles for fear of getting the disease.

On Saturday night all sports games were cancelled as health authorities scanned the entire hockey arena to find the source of the disease and to prevent the bacteria from spreading. Students on the same hockey team as the two boys who have the disease have been tested and fortunately they do not have the disease.

The Meningococcal disease is spread through the closing of the lungs which causes coughing and makes it hard to breathe. The boys are listed in serious condition and doctors are hopeful that the boys can recover. The community is praying for the boys to recover as an interfaith gathering was held as everyone prayed for the boys to gain health and com back to school.

School authorities stated that they would dispense medication and antibiotics to anyone who has symptoms of the disease and has coughing or has trouble breathing. Still, school authorities and the principal have conferred with the health board and have stated that school will be open on Monday for the Ramapo High School. Despite the school and the health board saying that school would be safe for students once it opens on Monday, some parents are still fearful about their child contracting the deadly disease.

Today, more and more children are being given the meningitis vaccination shot to make sure that they do not receive it.