Students of Deenbandhu Primary School, Veiuto Primary School, Sacred Heart Secondary School and Saint Agnes were part of the first batch of schools to go through the nationwide meningococcal vaccination campaign which began yesterday in the Central Division.

The Ministry of Health is targeting more than 333,876 children aged 1 to 19 years.

The Ministry says vaccination not only protects individuals from life threatening diseases but it also offers protection to the community at large.

The Ministry is urging all parents, guardians and children to make good use of this opportunity because the cost of having to deal with a meningococcal infection is devastating and costly.

Children need parental consent to be vaccinated.

Four people all below the age of 5 years have died from  meningococcal disease this year.