News Release                   For Immediate Release

April 1, 2004

Meningitis C Vaccine Campaign for Teens Launched

A campaign is being launched this month to offer free meningitis C vaccine to Grey-Bruce youth between the ages of 15 and 19 and Grade 7 students. “We are encouraging teens to protect themselves from this infection, which can lead to serious complications or death,” says Medical Officer of Health Hazel Lynn. The campaign will involve 1-day vaccination clinics at high schools and elementary schools, April through June.

Meningitis C is a severe bacterial infection of the blood, lining of the brain and/or spinal cord with a high fatality rate and severe complications, such as limb amputations, hearing loss and brain damage. The bacteria can spread when saliva is passed from one person to another.  This can happen with kissing, coughing, and sharing common items like eating utensils, cups, cigarettes, and musical instruments. It often affects previously healthy people who then rapidly become extremely ill. The fatality rate in Ontario for meningitis C has been very high (40%) over 2002 and 2003 and two teens have died in Grey-Bruce.

Under the provincially funded campaign to prevent meningitis C, the vaccine is free for:

·         Youth between 15 and 19 years of age in 2005

·         Grade 7 students

·         People with certain chronic conditions who are at higher risk of meningitis C 

·         People in close or direct contact with a person who has meningitis C

·         One-year-old children born on or after September 1, 2003

The effectiveness of the meningitis C vaccine in children aged 1-17 years ranged from 87% to 100% in the UK following a large-scale immunization program and the deaths due to meningitis C in people under 20 fell by 91%.

Public health nurses will be visiting all high schools and elementary schools to offer the meningitis C vaccine. Other eligible individuals can obtain a meningitis C vaccine from their family doctor or by appointment at the Public Health Unit.

The campaign includes education messages emphasizing that teens are at higher risk: “There is more sharing of food, drinks, cigarettes and kisses. Spit happens!”

For more information on meningitis C, the vaccine and clinic times, visit our website at www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca or call us at 376-9420.

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For more information:

Sylvia Brooks

Public Health Nurse

Grey Bruce Health Unit

376-9420

Karen Sweiger

Program Manager, Vaccine Preventable Diseases

Grey Bruce Health Unit

376-9420