4 Oct 2011

Health board starts meningococcal C Facebook page

6:09 am on 4 October 2011

Health officials have started a page on Facebook to encourage teenagers in Northland to be vaccinated for meningococcal disease.

Three people in the region have died of the illness since July this year and a major vaccination programme is under way in Northland schools.

Northland medical officer of health Clair Mills says young people may have been vaccinated for the meningococcal B strain in the past.

However, that will not protect them against the group C outbreak now affecting the region.

Dr Mills says it is hard to get health messages across to youth and the Facebook page is an attempt to reach them.