AHF: Meningitis — Two More Fatalities in California

3 p.m. PRESS CONFERENCE TODAY

PRESS CONFERENCE & TELECONFERENCE: Tuesday, April 16, 3:00 p.m.

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--AIDS Healthcare Foundation:

• Rjay Spoon, a 30-year-old gay man from Downtown Los Angeles, died of acute Neisseria Meningitis on December 16, 2012, in Los Angeles.
• A 30-year-old San Diego State University student who lived in Chula Vista died of the same disease sometime on December 10, 2012.

In response to lethal 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 at its AHF Pharmacy locations in West Hollywood (8212 Santa Monica Blvd.) and Hollywood (6210 Sunset Blvd.) to anyone who thinks that they are at risk or have had exposure

WHAT:	PRESS CONFERENCE & TELECONFERENCE
	Two more fatalities from bacterial meningitis found in Southern California —
	• Rjay Spoon, a 30-year-old gay man from Downtown Los Angeles, died of acute Neisseria Meningitis on December 16, 2012 in Los Angeles.
	• A 30-year-old San Diego State University student who lived in Chula Vista died of the same disease sometime on December 10, 2012.
	AHF to continue offer FREE MENINGITIS VACCINES 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)
WHEN:	TUESDAY, April 16^th, 2013 — 3:00 p.m. Pacific Time
WHERE:	AIDS Healthcare Foundation Headquarters
	6255 Sunset Blvd., 21^st Floor, (cross street Argyle), Los Angeles CA 90028
	Teleconference Dial in information: [phone] participant code #7134323
WHO:	Michael Weinstein, AIDS Healthcare Foundation
	Casey Hayden, partner of Rjay Spoon
	Parveen Kaur, M.D., Physician, AHF Healthcare Centers (pending)
	Hon. John Duran, Councilmember, West Hollywood City Council (pending)
	Otto Yang, M.D., Scientific Director, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (pending via telecon)
CONTACTS:	Ged Kenslea, AHF Sr. Dir. of Communications [phone] cell
	Lori Yeghiayan, AHF Assoc. Dir. of Communications [phone] cell

In response to the confirmation of two additional deaths from bacterial meningitis in Southern California, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF) will host a PRESS TELECONFERENCE Tuesday, April 16, at 3 p.m. Pacific Time to announce that it will offer free meningitis vaccines starting Monday, April 15^th, 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 (1300 N. Vermont Ave, Suite 407, Los Angeles 90027) to anyone who thinks that they are at risk or have had exposure. The vaccine protocol involves one dose for HIV negative individuals, and one plus a booster at eight weeks for HIV positive people.

Concern about possible exposure to, and transmission of, bacterial meningococcal infection in the Greater Los Angeles MSM population arose after a 33-year-old West Hollywood resident was diagnosed with the infection, which rapidly escalated and has left him on life support shortly after he attended the White Party, an annual gathering of thousands of gay men in Palm Springs over the Easter Weekend. On Saturday, the Los Angeles Times reported, “Health officials said they believe the outbreak in New York is circulating among men who have sex with men and that this particular strain may have been transmitted through intimate encounters.”

LOCATIONS for AHF’s FREE meningitis vaccinations:

• AHF Pharmacy/West Hollywood
  8212 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA, 90046
  Phone: [phone]
  Hours: M-Sat 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun

• AHF Pharmacy/Sunset (Hollywood)
  6210 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA, 90028
  Phone: [phone]
  Hours: M-Sat 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Sun

• AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Center
  1300 N. Vermont Ave., Suite 407, Los Angeles, CA, 90027
  Phone: [phone]
  Hours: Mon-Wed-Thu-Fri, 5:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.; Saturday, 9:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
  PLEASE NOTE AHF MEN’S WELLNESS CENTER IS CLOSED ON TUESDAYS

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

• Michael Zimmerman, Program Manager, AHF Hollywood Men’s Wellness Program
• [phone] x 5819
• AHF Main Switchboard [phone]

About AIDS Healthcare Foundation

AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 215,000 individuals in 28 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us on Twitter: @aidshealthcare.