Despite the concern, the daily decline in attendance has been 8 to 9 percent, compared with the 7 to 8 percent that would be expected during the flu season and bad weather, Simmons said. Officials expected to administer all 10,000 doses of vaccine, said Debbie MacCarthy, director of the Montgomery County Health Department. The vaccination program in the Humble school district, scheduled for next Tuesday through Thursday, was recommended by the Harris County Health Department because three of that area's five confirmed meningitis cases in recent months have been linked to Humble High School and its 9th-grade campus. That gave them a connection with each other. The two schools will host clinics from 3 to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday.
Bacterial meningitis inflames the lining of the brain and spinal cord.
Health officials said the risk of infection is normally very low and is commonly associated with close living, such as a military barracks or a school dormitory. Normal school conditions do not increase risk of the disease, they said. The illness is caused by a bacterium spread through sneezing or coughing directly into the face, kissing, sharing eating or drinking utensils or allowing saliva or respiratory droplets from a carrier to enter the mouth or nose. Early symptoms include fever, intense headache, stiff neck and nausea, often accompanied by vomiting.