Don't forget immunizations for back-to-college crowd

If you've got a child heading to college, there's a lot to remember.

But doctors say - don't forget to get their vaccinations up to date.

They need protection against several serious illnesses, including bacterial meningitis.

It is a serious infection of the brain and nervous system, which strikes most often in infants and young people between 16 and 21 years of age.

Meningitis can go from first symptoms to a full-blown crisis in hours.

It can be spread through sharing drinking glasses or utensils, living in close quarters, or intimacy.

Another infection that spreads through intimacy is HPV.

It can cause several cancers - and it's a lot more common than most parents think.

"Some studies say 75 per cent of people have had HPV at some time in their lives. So if anyone is going to be sexually active in college, they're likely exposed to HPV," says Dr. Thomas Phelps, a pediatrician at Cleveland Clinic Childrens' Hospital.

Many doctors also recommend flu shots - even the young & healthy can have serious complications from it.

Doctors say parents are very aware young children need immunizations, but they often forget college students need them, too.