Student presents work on meningitis vaccination program
<p><img src="/files/images/healthstudent_rebecca%20raub.jpg" alt="Rebecca Raub" hspace="5" vspace="5" width="95" height="157" align="left">Arizona State University undergraduate Rebecca Raub was one of just a handful of students to present their work at the 2008 American College Health Association’s annual meeting June 3-7 in Orlando, Fla.</p><separator></separator><p>Raub discussed ASU’s meningitis vaccination program during a talk entitled, “Collaboration with a Student Group on a Voluntary Meningitis Vaccination Program.”</p><separator></separator><p>“Her presentation really stimulated interest in what a student group that is committed to campus health could accomplish. Of the 235 faculty presenters at the meeting, Rebecca was one of only 14 students chosen to present their work,” says Dr. Allan Markus, Director of the ASU Campus Health Service and Raub’s co-presenter.</p><separator></separator><p>The importance of vaccinations in the battle against meningitis was brought to the attention of ASU students last year through the Health and Counseling Student Action Committee. The committee helped to raise awareness of meningitis vaccinations, assisted in the development of forms to track data and increased the percentage of vaccinations given by the ASU Campus Health Service by more than 60 percent. Raub is chair-emeritus of the committee.</p><separator></separator><p>“I couldn't be more proud of the success of our meningitis vaccination program this year. All the Health and Counseling Student Action Committee members and volunteers made a huge impact on our vaccination rate,” Raub says.</p><separator></separator><p>An article entitled, “Improving Vaccination Rates in States and Universities without Mandatory Vaccination Policies,” written by Markus and Raub was published this spring in the national American College Health Association newsletter.</p><separator></separator><p>Raub is going into her junior year at Arizona State University in the fall. She is currently majoring in molecular biosciences and will pursue a career in medicine after she graduates.</p><separator></separator><p>The incoming president of the Health and Counseling Student Action Committee group, Jelena Peric, also attended the meeting and will coordinate this year’s efforts on improving health and counseling care for ASU students.</p>