Scientists mark ‘stunning success’ of vaccine in virtually ridding Africa of meningitis A

Five years after the introduction of an affordable conjugate meningitis A vaccine, immunization has led to the control and near elimination of deadly meningitis A disease in the African “meningitis belt.” In 2013, only four laboratory-confirmed cases of meningitis A were reported by the 26 countries in the meningitis belt. The findings are part of a special collection of 29 articles in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases—with guest editors from Public Health England and the former Meningitis Vaccine Project, a partnership between the World Health Organization (WHO) and the international health nonprofit PATH—about the steps taken for the development, introduction, and evaluation of the PsA-TT conjugate meningitis A vaccine for Africa, better known as MenAfriVac®. But scientists are now warning that unless countries within the belt incorporate the meningitis A vaccine in routine immunization schedules for infants, there is a risk that the disease could rebound in 15 years’ time. One of...