New vaccine could prevent meningitis outbreaks

Health officials in London have reported that a new vaccine will help prevent meningitis outbreaks in Africa, revolutionizing how doctors fight the deadly disease.

Meningitis is the potentially fatal infection of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord. It strikes more than 20 countries in sub-Sahara Africa. Last year, there were about 80,000 cases including over 4,000 deaths. While wealthy countries have been using meningitis vaccines for years, they are often ineffective in the developing world simply because outbreaks don’t last long. They also cannot be used in very young children, who are the most vulnerable to the disease.

Health officials have only immunized patients when outbreaks start until now, but last week the World Health Organization has approved a vaccine that could stop outbreaks before they even begin. The vaccine targets type A meningitis, which causes over 90 percent of outbreaks in Africa, and costs 40 cents per shot.

Meningitis is a highly contagious disease that is spread through sneezing, coughing, and living in cramped conditions. The symptoms include a stiff neck, high fever, headaches, and vomiting. Up to ten percent of patients die within two days. Twenty percent of survivors have long-term problems such as hearing loss and brain damage.

Health officials are planning to first release the vaccine in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. They hope to vaccinate 80 to 90 percent of people in countries hit hardest by outbreaks. With that many people, even those who don’t receive the vaccine should be better protected.