WEST HOLLYWOOD (KTLA) — The AIDS Healthcare Foundation is offering free meningitis vaccines starting on Monday.
The move comes just days after a West Hollywood man died from the disease.
The AHF will have vaccines available at its men’s wellness center in L.A. and at its pharmacies in Hollywood and West Hollywood. They’re prepared to give out 10,000 doses.
Officials are encouraging anyone who might have been exposed or at risk to make plans to receive the vaccine.
The case of Brett Shaad, a West Hollywood lawyer who died from meningitis, has heightened concerns locally about meningitis dangers.
Shaad, 33, died on Friday within a week of feeling sick.
It’s believed that Shaad got sick after attending the White Party, a gathering that took place in Palm Springs around Easter.
The local case — and other meningitis cases that have struck gay men in New York City — have West Hollywood officials warning residents to take precautions.
There have been 13 cases in New York so far, and seven of them have been fatal.
Heath officials say bacterial meningitis can spread through kissing or from close or prolonged contact with a sick person.
“We’re not saying at this point that we have an outbreak in Los Angeles,” said Michael Weinstein, president of the AHF.
“But we know that this disease is serious, it’s deadly and that it can spread relatively easily.”