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December 27, 2002

INTERNATIONAL IMMUNIZATION NEWS

"Two-Year Meningococcal Outbreak Over"

Edmonton Journal (www.edmontonjournal.com) (12/24/02) P. B3; Ruttan, Susan

In Canada, Edmonton seems to finally be pulling away from the meningococcal outbreak that gripped the region for two years, according to Dr. Gerry Predy, the medical officer of health.  The outbreak that began in December 1999 hit Edmonton harder than the rest of Canada, sickening 65 people in the Capital region and taking the lives of six.  So far this year, however, there have only been 12 cases of meningococcal infection.  The region's immunization campaign--which began by targeting older teens and then children older than two years of age--was eventually unrolled across the nation, and Predy credits it for shortening the outbreak and limiting the number of people infected.

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