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Mon 10 Oct 2000Giving a killer disease the needleMeningitis is a disease which strikes fear into parents. The high mortality rate and the sudden onset of the illness mark it out from other diseases. Added to this is a feeling of helplessness because of the lack of preventative measures they can take.The launch here tomorrow of a vaccination campaign against one of the strains of meningitis is therefore most welcome. The meningitis C vaccine will initially be targeted at the under-twos and at 15 to 17-yearolds. Public health doctors are hoping to see an immediate reduction in the number of cases of meningitis C following mass vaccination.