Oregon Public Broadcasting

A major vaccination campaign is under way in Crook County.  That’s after health officials declared an outbreak of a rare type of bacterial infection known as meningococcal disease. Crook County has confirmed six cases there in the last 11 months. 

Muriel DeLaVergne-Brown is Crook County’s Public Heath Director.

She says both the county and the state are expanding guidelines on who should get vaccinated.  Usually it’s limited to kids ages 11 to 18.   In Crook County, heath authorities are now recommending vaccinations for infants 9 months of age up to adults age 25. 

“The more people you get vaccinated in that age group that are at high risk", says DeLaVergne-Brown.  "The better odds you have of not getting another case, so I think that’s kind of where we’re heading.  And we’ll continue to do this for awhile," she said.

So far, 2,200 people in Crook County have been given the vaccine.

Meningococcal disease is spread through coughs and sneezes.  Most of time, exposure to the bug proves harmless.  But in rare cases the bacteria can cause serious infection. DeLaVergne-Brown says the disease is treatable with antibiotics.