BACTERIAL MENINGITIS:
Appeal to Thwart Deadly Outbreak
Gretchen Vogel
Fearing a repeat appearance of a rare strain of bacterial meningitis that killed 1500 people last year in Africa, the World Health Organization last week issued an urgent plea to drugmakers to make an effective vaccine against strain W135 available at reduced cost. If a major outbreak of W135 were to strike this winter, officials say there would not be enough vaccine doses available at any price.