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March 14, 2001
“Boy, 8, Battles Meningitis: Diagnosis First Case Outside
Vaccination Target Group”
Calgary Herald (www.calgaryherald.com) (03/14/01) P. B1;
Walker,
Robert; Hainsworth, Jeremy
Including the recent diagnosis of an eight-year-old boy,
which was the first outside the 16-to-20-year-old age group, seven people have
contracted meningitis in Calgary since December 25.
Health officials said they needed further testing to
determine whether the strain of the disease is the same as that which appeared
earlier in the year, but Calgary’s medical officer of health, Dr. Brent
Friesen, said the case should serve to underscore the importance of the need
for young people to take part in the province’s upcoming vaccination
campaign. The campaign, which is being
planned in accordance with Alberta
Health, is set to take place in late April or early
May. The vaccine will also be available
at three public health clinics on March 17, for individuals who missed the last
campaign. In the meantime, local
doctors have been told to keep an eye out for meningitis-like symptoms, and
Friesen is calling for all parents to remind their children about the potential
dangers of sharing water bottles, lip gloss, and cigarettes, and coming into
contact with another person’s saliva in any other way
ALL
INFORMATION, DATA, AND MATERIAL CONTAINED, PRESENTED, OR PROVIDED HERE IS FOR
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AS PROVIDING MEDICAL OR LEGAL ADVICE. THE DECISION WHETHER OR NOT TO
VACCINATE IS AN IMPORTANT AND COMPLEX ISSUE AND SHOULD BE MADE BY YOU, AND YOU
ALONE, IN CONSULTATION WITH YOUR HEALTH CARE PROVIDER.