FDA approves Meningitis vaccine for infants

The Food and Drug Administration approved a new combination vaccine for infants, Menhibrix, aimed at preventing the two infections that cause meningitis, meningococcal disease, and Hib disease, all of which can be fatal. The FDA approved the four-dose vaccine’s use for children ages 6 weeks through 18 months. Researchers tested the vaccine’s safety in over 7,500 children, with common side effects including pain, redness and swelling at the injection site, irritability and fever. “With today’s approval of Menhibrix, there is now a combination vaccine that can be used to prevent potentially life-threatening Hib disease and two types of meningococcal disease in children,” Dr. Karen Midthun, director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, said, according to CBS News. Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides and typically leads to meningitis, a deadly infection that affects the covering of the brain and the spinal cord. The disease is most often...