Taranaki's not at high risk & # 39; for the meningococcal W strain

Although a 14-year-old teenager died of a meningococcal infection in Taranaki in March, the region has nothing to envy to the strain that killed six in New Zealand this year.

The Northland District Health Board is currently preparing a vaccination program to control a MenW meningococcal epidemic, which has claimed three lives in its region – half of those who died nationwide.

And despite the fact that Taranaki has had 25 reported cases of meningitis and four deaths in the last 10 years, the Medical Officer of Health of the Taranaki District Health Board, Dr. Jonathan Jarman, said that the region did not have high risk of contracting this strain.

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"Taranaki has been a victim of a number of cases of B strain of meningococcal disease at the beginning of the year and the death of a teenager of strain C," Jarman said in a statement. press.

However, Jarman said that Taranaki had not had any cases of MenW strain since 2013.

In saying this, he encouraged people to "be more vigilant about the signs and symptoms of meningococcal disease, which can manifest as flu but worsens very quickly."