Preventing meningococcal A meningitis with a philanthropic vaccine

Abstract

Journal of Paediatrics and Child HealthVolume 51, Issue 5 p. 564-564 Heads UpFree Access Preventing meningococcal A meningitis with a philanthropic vaccine First published: 03 May 2015 https://doi.org/10.1111/jpc.12900 edited by Craig Mellis ([email protected]) AboutSectionsPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A causes up to 200 000 cases of meningitis a year in sub-Saharan Africa. In 2001, Bill and Melinda Gates donated $70 million to the World Health Organization to fund development of a meningococcus A conjugate vaccine. Once the technology was achieved, the Serum Institute of India was outsourced and manufactured the vaccine PsA-TT or MenAfriVac, at a cost of $0.50 per dose. The vaccine is being introduced in several countries in West Africa. A community study from Chad compared meningitis rates in regions with and without vaccine coverage. Over a 10-day period in late 2011, a single dose of MenAfriVac was given to around 1.8 million persons aged 1–29 years in three regions around the capital city.1 In the following meningitis season, the incidence of any meningitis was 2.5 per 100 000 (57 cases in a population of 2.3 million) in the vaccinated regions, compared with 43.8 per 100 000 (3809 cases per 8.7 million population) in regions without mass vaccination, a 94% difference in crude incidence (P < 0.0001) and around 1000 cases prevented (see Fig. 1). Furthermore, although there was enhanced surveillance, not a single case of serogroup A meningococcal meningitis was reported in the three vaccinated regions.1 Philanthropy suitably rewarded. Figure 1Open in figure viewerPowerPoint Incidence of meningitis in three vaccinated regions of Chad before and after introduction of PsA-TT vaccine. Reference 1Daugla DM et al. Lancet 2014; 383: 40– 47. Reviewer: David Isaacs, [email protected] Volume51, Issue5May 2015Pages 564-564 FiguresReferencesRelatedInformation