Meningitis Vaccine
Meningitis vaccine is one of the preventive measures used against this infectious disease, which is caused by bacteria and virus, that causes the inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord
Various meningitis vaccines are available for different strains of bacteria. For example, the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine is given to prevent pneumococcal meningitis, caused by S. pneumoniae. Elderly people, especially those who are 65 years and above are advised to get this vaccination. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the latest meningitis vaccine for the prevention of pneumococcal infections has shown commendable results.This vaccine is administered as a routine immunization to children more than 2 years of age.
Meningitis Vaccine
There are also vaccines available against the bacterial strain Hib. These vaccines are very reliable and largely effective.
Meningitis vaccines against the bacterial strain N. meningitidis are easily available in America as well as in all other countries. The two vaccines for Meningeococcal meningitis are:
(a) Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine or MPSV4 or Menomune. It has been recognized by the Food and Drug Administration as suitable for use on humans.
(b) Meningococcal conjugate vaccine or MCV4 or Menactra.
These two type of meningitis vaccines can prevent 4 types of meningococcal disease. There are a number of sero-groups of which C,Y, and W-135 which are most common in U.S. and serogroup A which causes epidemics in Africa. The WHO has identified serogroups B and C both as being responsible for a great number of cases in Europe and the America. Similar outbreaks due to N. meningitidis serogroup C have been reported in Canada and USA (1992-93) and in Spain (1995-97) . For 10 years, the area of effect of meningococcal meningitis infection has remarkably widened in New Zealand where an average of 500 cases occur annually. Most of these cases are now due to serogroup B. The outcome of these two vaccines is excellent and they protect about 90% of the infected people. This meningococcal conjugate meningitis vaccine is immunogenic, specifically for children below 2 years of age whereas polysaccharide vaccines are not.
Menomune or MPSV4 is mainly used for children between 2 to 10 years of age and elderly people over 65 years of age and, usually, 2 doses at the interval of 3 months are administered .Polysaccharide vaccines are given for the prevention against serogroups A, C, Y, W135 in various combinations.
Menactra or MCV is advised on the basis of a routine pre-adolescent visit at about11 to 12 years of age. This is a monovalent conjugate meningitis vaccine that is effective against serogroup C and has been licensed in 2005.
The WHO has expressed its determination to weed out meningitis, vaccines being one of the declared methods.
