Photo: Google Street View

File photo of Kalamalka Secondary School.

Students at Kalamalka Secondary School are being offered protection from meningococcal disease, following one case of a seriously ill teenager.

Interior Health will be providing a vaccination clinic for all Kal Secondary students on Thursday, Dec. 14.

“We are advising all students at Kalamalka Secondary School to get immunized with the Meningococcal Quadrivalent vaccine (Men-C-ACYW-135),” said Karin Goodison, IH medical health officer. “This vaccine has been offered to grade nine students at this school for the last two years.”

The clinic has now been expanded to all students at the school who feel they need protection.

Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining around the brain and spinal cord, which occurs most often in children, teens and young adults. It can be deadly in some cases.

IH said that while the risk to the general population is low, Interior Health is taking the precaution to immunize all students at the school, to reduce the spread of infection.

Individuals who present symptoms like fever, headache, stiff neck, or vomiting should seek medical attention immediately.

The unidentified student who is suffering from meningitis remains in an induced coma at a Vancouver hospital.

IH said there are no other known cases of the illness at the school or in Vernon.