Meningococcal disease outbreak officially over
Special to The Herald
Interior Health has declared an end to the meningococcal disease outbreak in the Okanagan.
From late September to November 2017, three cases of meningococcal disease were identified in the Oliver area, prompting IH to offer free immunizations to secondary school students there.
This was later expanded to include people up to age 24 in Okanagan Falls and Osoyoos.
On Dec. 14, after an increasing trend of cases over a six-month period, IH declared a meningitis outbreak across the Okanagan, affecting youth between 15 and 19 years old.
IH recorded 12 cases in 2017 throughout the region, with around half being in the Okanagan.
Typically, the health authority sees one to three cases a year, said Dr. Karin Goodison, medical health officer.
One young man from Oliver who tested positive for meningococcal disease died last fall, although the cause of death is unknown, said Goodison.
In total, 14,503 eligible people received the meningococcal quadrivalent vaccine before and during the outbreak, 68.3 per cent of the target population.
“A large proportion of the high-risk population is now protected against meningococcal disease, which will greatly reduce the likelihood of future cases of this disease,” said Dr. Silvina Mema, medical health officer.
The most immunizations on one day was 2,185 on Dec. 19.
Normally, around 3,000 students are immunized each year. Now that the outbreak is over, only students in Grades 9 and 10 will be eligible to receive the vaccine for free at health centres.