Hockey player teams with Ottawa medical expert to raise awareness about meningococcal meningitis

- Teams up with Ottawa medical expert to raise awareness about meningococcal meningitis and warns hockey fans they can get more than a penalty when sharing water bottles -

What: When hockey fans converge at this Sunday's Ottawa 67's game, Garry Galley, former NHL defenseman and current analyst of Hockey Night in Canada, will team up with Dr. Gary Garber to share defense tips about the four vaccine-preventable strains of meningococcal meningitis with hockey enthusiasts at the Take a Shot for Meningitis Awareness booth. The pair will educate hockey enthusiasts and their families about meningococcal meningitis prevention and protection. They will also provide 67's fans with free water bottles to reduce the risk of transmission, offer hockey and health tips, and discuss the importance of broad protection in children and teens against meningococcal meningitis.

Onsite INTERVIEWS, PHOTOS and BROADCAST opportunities with Garry Galley and Dr. Gary Garber are available.

Who: Garry Galley, Former NHL defenseman and color analyst for Hockey Night in Canada and Rogers Sportsnet Dr. Gary Garber, Physician When: Take a Shot for Meningitis Protection, Sunday, February 7, 2010 1 to 3 p.m. Where: Urbandale Centre 1015 Bank Street Ottawa, ON K1S 3W7 Invasive Meningococcal Disease (IMD) Quick Facts: - Meningococcal meningitis, a type of IMD, is a serious bacterial infection that can be spread from one person to another through close contact involving secretions from the nose or throat, such as sharing water bottles and kissing. - Each week, an average of four Canadians, mostly children and teens, are infected with invasive meningococcal disease. - Meningococcal meningitis often begins with symptoms that can be mistaken for common viral illnesses, such as the flu. But unlike more common infections, meningococcal meningitis can progress very rapidly and cause death in 24 to 48 hours. - Four of the five bacterial strains that cause meningococcal meningitis are vaccine-preventable (A, C, Y and W-135). - Menactra(R) is the only conjugate vaccine protecting against all four-vaccine preventable IMD strains.

Source: SANOFI PASTEUR