A DEADLY strain of meningitis has been virtually eradicated in Merseyside and Cheshire thanks to a major vaccination programme for vulnerable people, the Daily Post can reveal.
Since the introduction of a vaccine for the meningococcal C strain of the disease, the number of cases recorded in the North West has dwindled from 151 in 1999 to 12 in 2003 and just five so far this year.
On Merseyside there have been no cases of the deadly infection for the past seven months and Cheshire has not had any for more than a year.
Meningitis C can be fatal in a matter of hours and even those who survive may suffer permanent brain damage, deafness and scars from the rash.
One patient in 10 with the infection dies and it has hit students and young children particularly hard in the past.
Prior to the introduction of a vaccine in November 1999, Group C accounted for approximately 46% of all cases of the disease.
Health professionals believe the reduction in infections is directly linked to the immunisation campaign spearheaded by the Health Protection Agency (HPA).
It targeted young babies but was later expanded to children up to 18 and later the under-24s.
Professor Qutub Syed, the HPA's North West regional director, said family doctors, health visitors and school nurses in the region should be congratulated on the success of the immunisation campaign.
He said: "This is an incredible record that demonstrates the value of immunisation in giving children lifelong protection against very serious infectious diseases.
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