Each day we interact with people in our community. The people we interact with have different beliefs, practices, and backgrounds. As we get older, we expand our communities- educational communities, working communities, and group communities.
When we branch out and interweave our relationships, our communities start to interact with each other through us. We must remember that what we do in one community can have a direct effect on another.
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Currently, the SUNY Cortland community has been affected with two illnesses. Even though the illnesses have not been 100% confirmed, they have been affecting the community and all those in it. First, we had an outbreak of the Mumps. Second, and the most controversial, is Meningitis. Even though Meningitis can be bacterial or viral, our school has been taking preventative measures so that it does not spread if it indeed is Meningitis.
Let's play 'Angel' and 'Devil' shall we? 'Angel' side is the positive; the infected person was vaccinated as a child, and caught Meningitis from another individual who was not vaccinated. The two people interacted in a romantic setting or a causal one, and the bacteria or viral strain affected the infected person.
The flip side of this would be the 'Devil' side, which would be negative: the infected person was not vaccinated as a child, could have caught the infection as viral or bacterial. These two people interacted with one another, and then interacted with a group of others. People they see romantically, in a close group setting who shares possessions, or in their residence are all affected as well. Even though they may not contact Meningitis, they are still potentially at risk.
Due to this risk, the College has provided preventative antibiotics to anyone who thinks they may be at risk for Meningitis.
Among all of this craziness, one question comes to mind: Was the person vaccinated?
