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Pupils at meningitis school given day off

From the archive, first published Wednesday 11th Feb 2004.

Pupils at a Devon school hit by meningitis have been given the day off, an LEA spokesman have said.

It comes after an unnamed girl from Tiverton High School died from suspected meningococcal meningitis.

Another boy from the same school was discharged from hospital last week after he was treated for meningitis.

And a second boy from a nearby village was treated for meningococcal meningitis within the last fortnight and later discharged, a spokeswoman for the Mid Devon Primary Care Trust said.

Around 1,200 pupils and more than 100 staff at the school were offered antibiotics to protect them from meningitis.

The Devon LEA spokesman said Tiverton High School remained open but pupils had been offered the chance to stay at home to reflect.

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