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August 26, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Burundi: Government Draws Up Plan to Contain Meningitis Epidemic" Africa News Service (www.allafrica.com) (08/23/02)

Eleven percent of the 330 people who sought treatment for meningitis in Burundi's Ngozi, Kirundo, and Muyinga provinces since the beginning of July have died from the illness.  World Health Organization (WHO) officials and the Burundi health ministry say the outbreak has stabilized in both Ngozi and Kirundo but has reached epidemic proportions in parts of Muyinga. To control the outbreak, all people over the age of six months in Muyinga will be vaccinated against the disease and treatment will be provided for everyone who becomes infected.  Doses of the vaccine were donated by the WHO, UNICEF, and the European Community Humanitarian Office, according to WHO Consultant Dineke Venekamp.

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