Student hospitalized for meningitis; antibiotic clinic being held on-campus today
Cody Oden.
April 13, 2016
A junior Linfield student is believed to have contracted meningitis, according to friends and parents of the student.
Cody Oden, ’17, is being treated at the intensive care unit at Oregon Health and Science University for spinal meningitis, according to his mother, Teresa Oden, who posted on her son’s Facebook about it.
Riley Rediger, ’17, who is a friend of Oden’s, said that Oden became ill on Sunday and had a bad headache.
Oden is a junior economics and education double major who is also on the football team.
He is a 2013 graduate of West Salem High School in Salem, Oregon.
An on-campus antibiotic clinic is being held today from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the upper gym of the HHPA, according to Patty Haddeland, director of the student health and wellness center.
Anyone who is experiencing symptoms of nausea, vomiting, headache or fever are being asked to seek immediate medical attention from the student health center.
Rediger posted on Instagram to “keep @og_oden (Oden) in your prayers… he’s up at OHSU batting a meningitis bug… lord knows he’s gonna beat it and be back in no time.”
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Angela Billman • Apr 14, 2016 at 9:29 am
I think this is irresponsible and an over reaction. No action should be taken until a firm diagnosis is given so that antibiotics aren’t handed out unnecessarily. Bacterial meningitis doesn’t take very long to diagnose. This action could have waited. I have to wonder where Linfield administrators got their direction from. I hope this student makes a full recovery and it’s nothing more than virus.. In a time when antibiotics are losing their effectiveness, they should not be used in “just in case scenarios” unless the risk of exposure is proven to be extremely likely.
Jenny • Apr 14, 2016 at 12:38 am
The whole athlete department needs the vaccine. It does not prevent it, but it helps to have it when you have to fight the virus. It acts like the flu, but it isn’t. I lost a twin, 22 years old to this dreadful virus. Most schools and colleges are implementing getting the vaccination. God be with this young man. Praying, praying, praying.
Kate • Apr 14, 2016 at 1:01 am
Last year at Western there was a possible case and I called frantically trying to get myself and my kids vaccinated at the doctor and it was going to take prior authorization from the insurance to give it. They wanted a complete explanation sent into insurance as to why I believed myseld and my kids needed it. We never got the vaccine. The case turned out to not be meningitis but having almost died from it myself when I was 4 years old. I was scared to death.
It needs to be readily available as a normal vaccine that anyone can get just like the flu and pneumonia vaccines with there being specific cause to get it. It’s BS.