THE CHRONICLE FRIDAY. MARCH 6. 1987 « DUKE UNIVERSITY DURHAM. NORTH CAROLINA CIRCULATION: 15,000 VOL. 82, NO. 114 Thousands receive shots to stop meningitis threat By SHANNON MULLEN some of the infection's symptoms, which Health officials innoculated almost include fever, headache, joint pain and 2,600 students against meningitis possibly delirium, but doctors judged Thursday in hopes of preventing the Thursday that she did not have the dis­ spread of meningococcemia, a contagious ease, Eisenson said. blood infection that can develop into men­ The meningococcal infection is spread ingitis, a potentially fatal inflammation of primarily by sneezing, coughing and inti­ the outer lining of the brain and spinal mate contact. Federal, state and local cord. medical officials have said that the infec­ Student vaccinations, which took place tion cannot be transmitted through brief, from 2 to 7 p.m., will continue today in the casual contact with an infected person. Bryan Center from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Uni­ For this reason, employees and other versity officials will post information community members are not considered regarding additional vaccination times in at risk. "We do not see a need for vaccinat­ PETER AMAN/THE CHRONICLE the Bryan Center, Trent Drive Hall and ing our employees," said Dr. George Jack­ Students wait in line for optional meningitis vaccinations. the East Campus Union this morning. son, director of employee health. "Based So far, three students have contracted on the information we have and the rec­ Trinity freshman Eric Coleman, the first In the early afternoon, the line of stu­ the infection. One of them, a male resi­ ommendations of federal government, student to get the vaccine through a nee­ dents, most preparing to leave for spring dent of Trent Drive Hall, developed state and local experts in the area we do dle-less jet injector, which sends a highly break, sometimes stretched from the in- meningococcal meningitis, a particularly not perceive our employees are at any pressurized dose of meningococcal noculation area outside Reynolds In­ serious form of meningitis. The other two, great risk." Concerned employees can call polysaccharide under the skin ofthe arm. dustries Theater to the Bryan Center both women, have the meningococcal in­ Jackson's office at 684-3225 with ques­ Students could also be injected by a nee­ walkway entrance. But by the end of the fection, which by itself can be fatal. tions. dle. day the line was shorter and moved more All three students are doing well and Meanwhile, student innoculations will The vaccine has no serious side effects, swiftly. Most students who waited said are out of danger, according to Dr. continue today and will likely be available but clinical personnel watched students the operation was well-run and that the Howard Eisenson, director of student at least until the 6,000 dose supply of the for 5-15 minutes after they got the shot injection was painless and worth the in­ health. vaccine runs out. for mild reactions such as flu symptoms convenience. A resident of Southgate dormitory had "It's the easiest shot I ever had," said and dizziness. See VACCINE on page 3 Study establishes asbestos removal plan Reagan tries By MAXINE GROSSMAN cock said. to overcome Materials containing the carcinogen as­ Damaged pipe insulation can be bestos continue to be found in University patched, according to Blake, but "through buildings but pose no immediate danger the process of doing renovations, it be­ and are in the process of being removed, comes prudent to remove the pipe" and Iran affair according to a recent report. CAUTION replace the insulation. He added that Associate University Counsel David workers have removed up to 15 pipes in By GERALD BOYD Adcock Friday updated the Board of the last four or five years. "One would N.V. Times News Service Trustees on the University's ongoing ef­ ASBESTOS hope that through the normal process of WASHINGTON — President fort to remove insulation and other mate­ DUST HAZARD renovation" the asbestos will eventually Reagan said on Thursday that enough rials containing asbestos from its build­ be completely removed. time had been spent on "inside Wash­ ings. AVOID BREATHING DUST J In addition to the efforts to remove the ington politics" and that he would not The report, commissioned by Univer­ WEAR ASSIGNED asbestos, the University is "currently par­ allow the rest of his presidency to be sity Counsel Eugene McDonald, covered ticipating with a number of other colleges hindered by the Iran arms affair. the potential hazard asbestos holds, an PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT j and universities in a class-action lawsuit Attempting to divert public and con­ inventory of asbestos sites, an explana­ DO NOT REMAIN IN AREA] against miners, millers, manufacturers gressional attention from the scandal, tion of removal and containment projects UNLESS TOUR WORK and distributers of asbestos," said Adcock. an effort that began with a nationally to date, future plans and a recommenda­ The University has also filed a claim broadcast speech Wednesday night, tion on funding those plans. REQUIRES IT against the now bankrupt Johns Manville Reagan said he would move on to other The result is that we have identified BREATHING ASBESTOS Corporation, formerly a large supplier of business while various investigations where we have asbestos in place and a DUST MAY BE asbestos products and insulation. The ofthe arms deals run their course. program of how to remove it," said HAZARDOUS company is attempting to establish a The remarks came as a CBS News McDonald. trust fund which would allow Duke and Poll showed that the speech had Asbestos, with • its insulating the company's other creditors a chance to brought a possibly temporary but sig­ capabilities and enormous resistance to recover a "substantial" portion of asbestos STAFF PHOTO/THE CHRONICLE nificant increase in his approval rat­ fire, was used for wrapping hot water removal and containment costs. Warning sign in asbestos removal area ing. White House officials said they pipes until the Environmental Protection There is a "considerable body of evi­ believed Reagan's speech had created a Agency banned it in the mid-1970s follow­ dence" that companies commissioned climate in which there would be less ing studies that revealed its carcinogenic "There is no real health hazard at pres­ studies that verified the dangers of asbes­ clamor over the Iran affair among the effects. Builders also used asbestos to in­ ent," said Adcock. "Asbestos is only a tos, but continued manufacturing it, Ad­ public and in Congress. In his address, sulate boilers and sprayed it on ceilings health hazard if it is friable," or shred­ cock said. Companies may have known as the president accepted full responsibil­ for fireproofing purposes. ding, he said. "If it's sealed, if it's in good early as the 1930s that exposure to friable ity for the Iran initiative and acknowl­ Adcock estimated the cost of removal of shape, it's no health hazard whatsoever." asbestos may lead to asbestosis, a pulmo­ edged, for the first time, that it had de­ the asbestos at about $47 million, includ­ "We monitor all asbestos-containing nary disease, and Mesotheleoma, a can­ teriorated into a trade of arms for hos­ cer. ing relocation costs for the areas that areas routinely, to see whether materials tages. would be under construction. The Univer­ have deteriorated at any point," he said. McDonald said the committee reacted See REAGAN on page 5 sity has already spent about $1.2 million A large portion ofthe asbestos on cam­ to the news "soberly." in "out of pocket" funds, Adcock said. pus is in the insulation wrapped around "Now we're in the process of trying to water pipes in the tunnels, Adcock said. develop a funding source for removal of "The tunnels have been sealed off for a Weather sprayed-on asbestos," said Larry Blake, specific purpose," said Adcock. "It would Inside safety manager. He said that 11 or 12 be extremely foolish for anyone to expose Breakout: the suntan lotion or the campus buildings contain areas of himself to it." Price iS right: Reynolds Price ski mask. The atmospheric conditions sprayed-on asbestos and are monitored marks up another honor. See page 4 for Because so much routine work is done for the next week will depend upon the routinely. "We hope to concentrate on ceil­ the inside story on Duke's on hot water and steam pipes, mainte­ region of the globe you visit. As for ing materials within the next two years," nance workers "have encountered and ming literary genius. Durham . who cares? he said. will continue to encounter asbestos," Ad­ Page 2 THE CHRONICLE Friday, March 6,1987 Piedmont the prize in takeover battle ByPAULNOWELL Associated Press WINSTON-SALEM — USAir Group Inc., one of two Virginia-based companies interested in acquiring Piedmont Airlines, accused Trans World Airlines on Thursday of launching a takeover bid to disrupt its courtship of Piedmont. Piedmont's directors met Wednesday afternoon to review offers for acquisition from USAir and Norfolk Southern Corp. But 30 minutes after they began their telephone conference, TWA announced its bid and threw Piedmont's discussions into confusion. USAir said in a statement the bid by Carl Icahn, TWA chairman and a takeover expert, was "nothing more than an attempt ... to disrupt" USAir's offer to 1 WRIGHT/THE CHRONICLE SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE purchase Piedmont Airlines. Icahn offered to buy Jesse Helms USAir for $1.4 billion in cash. Icahn, the takeover strategist who won control of TWA last year, said he also would be interested in a combination of TWA, USAir and Piedmont, but did GOP division a myth, Helms says not elaborate.