Officials in West Hollywood are continuing the effort to prevent future meningococcal meningitis infections following the death of West Hollywood attorney Brett Shaad, who contracted the disease and died two weeks ago.

The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health has found that Shaad had been infected with serogroup C, a strain of meningitis that was found in three other cases in Los Angeles since 2012. However, the department found that the strain had no link to the recent outbreak in New York City.

County health officials have not recommended a vaccination campaign as a result, much to the dismay of West Hollywood City Councilman John Duran, who advised the city to be on high alert during a press conference on April 12.

“I’m perplexed as to why the county health department wouldn’t take the leadership on this and promote the vaccination countywide,” he said.

According to an advisory, department officials said they understand that a single case of the “serious” disease can evoke a high level of concern, but recommended that worried individuals consult their physicians about prevention options.

Health officials have stated that Los Angeles County had 13 cases of meningitis last year. According to the advisory, the department investigates each meningitis case to identify close contacts and offer preventive antibiotic treatment to people who had contact with the saliva or nasal mucus of a meningitis patient.

Despite the lack of a countywide vaccination campaign, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) began providing free meningitis vaccinations on April 15. Since then, approximately 3,300 people have received the vaccine at AHF’s pharmacies in Hollywood and West Hollywood. The organization still has about 6,700 doses of the vaccine.

The health department has made the vaccination available for free to low-income and uninsured residents, but Duran would like to see the vaccines offered to every adult in the county.

“Why wouldn’t we extend the vaccine or promote the vaccine? Why do we have to accept the twenty-five to thirty deaths a year as just routine?” he said.

Duran said there are several similarities between the meningitis cases and the AIDS epidemic, as the issue involves a “weird” strain of a disease that appears to be rare and is popping up in major cities.

“I don’t want anyone else to die,” he added.

The councilman said he did “take some heat” for sounding the alarm about the meningitis case, mostly by younger individuals who were not alive for the AIDS epidemic. Whereas cancer and AIDS can take years to result in death, meningitis can be fatal within five days, he said.

“This one kills in a week,” Duran said. “It’s a pretty serious disease.”

He said another reason for concern is the number of large gatherings of gay men in West Hollywood and surrounding areas, which could provide an environment in which the disease could spread. Duran said Shaad was in Palm Springs the weekend of the White Party, a gay dance music festival.

However, Shaad contracted the most recent case of meningitis reported in the area. No new cases have been announced since the vaccinations began.

Duran said residents in West Hollywood should assess their own personal risks in getting the vaccine, which has little to no side effects. Symptoms of meningitis include fever, severe headaches, a stiff neck, nausea, vomiting, confusion, a skin rash and loss of consciousness. Meningitis patients are typically treated with antibiotics.

AHF will continue providing free meningitis vaccines at the AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center, 1300 N. Vermont Ave., Suite 407. For information, call (866)339-2525 or visit www.aidshealth.org.