IRISH health officials are probing another possible case of meningitis in Ireland with 11 people diagnosed so far and three dead.
The HSE has revealed a possible 12th case is currently being investigated, according to the Irish Independent.
Last week the Health and Safety Executive confirmed three people in Ireland had died after contracting the deadly infection.
The news comes as thousands have signed an online petition urging Health Minister Simon Harris to implement a catch-up programme for kids and teens to update their vaccines.
Harris has said the HSE is being advised by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee on the roll-out of vaccines, and won’t consult anyone else on the matter.
He told reporters: “I and the Government have implemented in full the advice of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee and I will be taking advice from nobody else in relation to vaccinations other than that committee.”
A vaccine for Meningitis B is currently available free to babies born after October 2016.
Parents of kids born before then have to pay up to €300 to have their child vaccinated against the B strain.
The HSE confirmed recently that meningitis B was among the strains which have been involved with recent cases.
Last week it was reported a total of 11 cases were recorded within a two-week span which was cause for great concern according to HSE chiefs.
HSE public health specialist Dr John Cuddihy said that meningitis strain B mainly affects children under one-year-old, all of whom are covered by the vaccine.
He said: “It is important that parents ensure their child completes all five sessions of the primary childhood immunisation programme.
“We were notified of 11 cases compared to five cases for the same period last year.
“The strains that have caused this meningitis are very varied.”
The 11 cases are up five from the same period last year – with a total of 89 meningococcal cases noted in Ireland in 2018.
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People of all age groups are susceptible to the disease and multiple different strain types were noted in the three casualties.
Meningitis – a serious illness involving inflammation of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord – can be caused by a variety of germs, mainly bacterial.
The spread of meningococcal from person to person is very unusual, especially outside of close household contact.