meningitis continues to dog the Island's medical profession.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. John Cann this week admitted obtaining regular supplies of the vaccine Pedvax was an "ongoing problem''.

He was responding to a complaint that supplies of Pedvax, which immunises infants against the haemophilus influenza bacteria that can cause meningitis, were once again running short.

In January paediatricians expressed concern that stocks imported by the Ministry of Health and distributed to physicians were running low. The vaccine provides protection against bacteria that can result in physical disablement and, in some cases, death.

Dr. Cann admitted this week that Government had experienced "some difficulty'' in importing sufficient stocks of the drug this year.

The problem lay with US suppliers Merck, Sharp and Dohme, he said, who responded to domestic demand before supplying Bermuda's small market.

"We are working as hard as we can but we are not in control of the situation,'' Dr. Cann said, adding he could give no guarantees there would not be future shortages.

Efforts were being made to import alternative vaccines, he said. These, however, required multiple doses and were less popular than Pedvax which required fewer injections.

Dr. Cann said alternative vaccines were just as effective but mothers who wanted their babies to have the minimum number of injections possible had a valid concern.