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~tjtd6ý CaatnCAvtm* A Metroland Community Newspaper Vol. 138 No. 92 Tuesday, January 13, 1998 24 Pages 75 0 (GST i ncluded) No meningitis vaccine A to be found in Halton By MERLE REEDHEAD Special to the Champion Although three confirmed cases of meningococcal meningitis have been found just south of Milton, there isn't much chance of getting vaccinated against the disease anywhere in Halton Region. "Ail the vaccine against this illness is currently being directed towards Kitchener-Waterloo, or for people travel- ling to parts of the world where this dis- ease is predominant," said Mary Anne Carson, of the Halton Region Health Department. "This vaccine is not part of a normal inoculation program and is not kept on hand. The Ministry of Health would direct the supplier to send the vaccine to a target area and right now it's Kitchener." A 23-year old Mississauga man, who works in Burlington, is suspected of hav- ing the same strain of meningitis that has killed two and hospitalized six others in the Kitchener-Waterloo Region in the last month. He spent New Year's Eve at a party in Kitchener where he is suspected of con- tracting the disease. The other two Peel cases are not the Type C variety that has resulted in the mass immunization of Man stabbed A 23-year-old Milton man required surgery twice on the weekend after being stabbed repeatedly with scissors Friday night. According to police, he was seriously wounded at about 10:50 p.m. at the comer of Wilson Drive and Briar Crescent as a result of an altercation with another man. He was stabbed several times in the groin, left side and back after a lengthy, heated argument at a nearby residence. After flagging down a passing motorist, he was transported to Milton District Hospital and underwent initial surgery. Complications ensued that required fur- ther surgery at a Hamilton hospital, where he is reported to be in stable condition. An 18-year-old Carlisle man went before Milton court yesterday on counts of aggravated assault and breach of proba- tion. Police are continuing their investigation into the incident. 135,000 people between the ages of two and 22 in Waterloo Region. Ms Carson, manager of Halton's com- municable disease control services sec- tion, said their office was notified of the latest diagnosis of the potentially deadly disease by Peel health officials late Monday, and then took the appropriate steps in Burlington. "We identified two people at his work- place who may be at risk and referred them to their physicians for antibiotic treatment," Ms Carson said. "We are also providing information services to the other employees." Despite the possibility that the strain from Waterloo Region may have made its way closer to Halton, Ms Carson stoessed there is no need for parents to become alarmed. "The one case that is occurring in Peel should not create any large amount of con- cem," she said. "It does occur in Halton too, and we've had one case in each of the past four years. I think the important part is taking a look at how it's spread. That's the type of thing that people need to educate themselves and their children about." Halton's health department has been fielding calls from concerned doctors, as well as parents, since the cases in •*see VACCINE on page 10 Man $10,000 richer John McLean of Milton recently won $10,000 in the Daily Keno game run by the Ontario Lottery Corporation. Mr. McLean, 57, a maintenance person at Nascar Sports Bar, said he planned to pay some bills and do some home improvements. "I've been playing Daily Keno since it started in 1996," he told Ontario Lottery Corp. staff. I BLLAS AUTO BODY SNOP ~1 - -- "- «- l '- à 0 4 W . , - à -- M& ,-fil irrm