AHF: Meningitis vaccine demo Monday in WeHo

In News by AHF

April 15th 11:00am, AHF Pharmacy/West Hollywood

8212 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA , 90046

In response to cases of bacterial meningitis among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) that has affected men in Los Angeles and New York, AIDS Healthcare Foundation will offer free meningitis vaccines starting Monday, April 15th at its AHF Pharmacy locations in West Hollywood (8212 Santa Monica Blvd.) and Hollywood (6210 Sunset Blvd.) and its AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center to anyone who thinks that they are at risk or have had exposure

WHAT: Meningitis Vaccine Demonstration
AHF to demonstrate FREE MENINGITIS VACCINE in response to deadly meningitis cases among men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM)—Vaccine to be offered at AHF Pharmacy locations (West Hollywood and Hollywood) and AHF’s Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center

WHEN: MONDAY, April 15th 2013—-11:00am

WHERE: Meningitis Vaccine Demonstration at
AHF Pharmacy/West Hollywood

8212 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA , 90046
Phone: P: (323) 654-0907 Hours: M-Sat 10am to 7pm, Sun

WHO: Regina Burkis, AHF Pharmacy Manager/West Hollywood
Salvador Guillen, Global Advocacy Marketing Manager, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
Other AHF staff TBD

B-ROLL: Meningitis vaccine demonstration at AHF Pharmacy; nearby opportunities for man-on-the-street reaction from pedestrians in West Hollywood

CONTACTS: Ged Kenslea, AHF Sr. Dir. of Communications (323) 791-5526 cell
Lori Yeghiayan, AHF Assoc. Dir. of Communications (323) 377-4312 cell

LOS ANGELES (APRIL 15, 2013) In conjunction with its offer of free meningitis vaccines starting Monday, April 15th to anyone who thinks that they are at risk or have had exposure, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a DEMONSTRATION of the VACCINATION for MENINGITIS for MEDIA OUTLETS Monday April 15, at 11:00 AM Pacific Time at one of the sites offering the free vaccines—its AHF Pharmacy location in West Hollywood (8212 Santa Monica Blvd.). The vaccine protocol involves one dose for HIV negative individuals, and one plus a booster at eight weeks for HIV positive people.

AHF will also offer the vaccines at its AHF Pharmacy location in Hollywood (6210 Sunset Blvd.) and its AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center (1300 N. Vermont Ave, Suite 407, Los Angeles 90027). The free vaccination program comes in response to recent cases of a potentially life-threatening type of bacterial meningitis that that has circulated in men-who-have-sex-with-men (MSM) in New York, infecting 13 individuals and killing seven there—and which has now left a Los Angeles man on life support.

“As a public health outreach, AHF will now offer the meningitis vaccine for free at our Hollywood and West Hollywood AHF Pharmacy sites and at our Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center to anyone who thinks that they are at risk or have had exposure—particularly, those in the MSM population,” said Michael Weinstein, president of AIDS Healthcare Foundation. “We are prepared to offer up to 10,000 vaccinations for free at these three AHF locations and will consider adding additional AHF sites should there be a need or demand. It is my hope that the Health Department of the County of Los Angeles and CDC will also step up to the plate long before we get to those levels, if there is found to be a need to do so.”

“The progression of this man’s infection from his likely exposure to his placement on life support demonstrates meningococcal meningitis can be a very rapid and deadly disease,” said Otto Yang, M.D., Scientific Director for AIDS Healthcare Foundation and an Infectious Diseases physician. “However, the chance of a large scale outbreak of this disease is relatively small, and getting infected usually requires close personal contact and exposure to body fluids of an infected person. Like the case of a healthy high school student in Palisades High school who died of meningococcal meningitis a couple of years ago, this is most likely one of the isolated cases that pop up in the US every year. That said, this tragedy serves as a reminder that people who believe they are at risk should get the vaccine, which is very safe and effective, and prophylactic antibiotics if they may have had a significant recent exposure. Persons at highest risk are those who have close exposures to many persons, such as students in dormitories or military personnel in barracks, and persons with weakened immune systems. There is the precedent of an outbreak in MSM in New York, however. With our outreach and free vaccinations, we want to promote caution and education, and prevent unnecessary concern or panic in the community.”

LOCATIONS for AHF’s FREE meningitis vaccinations:

  • AHF Pharmacy/West Hollywood
    8212 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA , 90046
    Phone: P: (323) 654-0907
    Hours: M-Sat 10am to 7pm, Sun
  • AHF Pharmacy/Sunset (Hollywood)
    6210 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA , 90028
    Phone: P: (323) 860-0173
    Hours: M-Sat 10am to 7pm, Sun
  • AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center
    1300 N. Vermont Ave., Suite 407, Los Angeles, CA , 90027
    Phone: P: (866) 339-2525
    Hours: Mon-Wed-Thu-Fri, 5:30pm to 9:00pm – Saturday, 9:30am – 5:00pm

FOR INFORMATION ABOUT AHF’s MENINGITIS VACCINE PROGRAM, PLEASE CALL:

  • Michael Zimmerman, Program Manager, AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Program
    (323) 436-8900 x 5819
  • AHF Main Switchboard (323) 860-5200
  • www.freestdcheck.org
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Meningitis: AHF to Offer Free Vaccines