First country worldwide: Nigeria introduces 5-in-1 meningitis vaccine
Published: Saturday, Apr 13th 2024, 13:10
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Africa's most populous country, Nigeria, has become the first country in the world to introduce a 5-in-1 vaccine against meningitis. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the Men5CV preparation protects against five so-called serotypes of meningococcus at the same time.
Meningococci are bacteria and are transmitted to other people by droplets, for example when coughing or sneezing.
The new combination vaccine offers more comprehensive protection than previously used vaccines, which are only effective against one serotype of the pathogen, said WHO Director-General Tedros Ghebreyesus. It has the potential to "prevent future outbreaks and save many lives". The introduction in Nigeria brings the world closer to the goal of eradicating meningitis by 2030.
The West African country of Nigeria, with a population of 220 million, is located in Africa's so-called meningitis belt, which includes 26 countries. According to the WHO, the continent experienced a 50 percent increase in reported meningitis cases last year.
A meningococcal outbreak in Nigeria led to 1742 suspected cases between October 1 and March 11, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths. In order to contain the outbreak, a vaccination campaign was initiated in March for an initial one million people up to the age of 29, according to the WHO.
The first symptoms of meningitis are similar to those of a flu-like infection. The disease worsens very quickly - a life-threatening clinical picture can develop within a few hours. Although meningitis can also be caused by other pathogens such as viruses, bacterial meningitis is the most serious and can also lead to sepsis (blood poisoning). Sufferers can become severely disabled or die within 24 hours. Mostly infants are affected.
Switzerland recommends vaccination
Meningococci can be treated well with antibiotics, but the first, rather unspecific symptoms such as headache, fever, chills and dizziness must be correctly interpreted, which is often not the case.
The five-fold vaccine is effective against serotypes A, C, W, Y and X, which cause many diseases in Africa.
In Switzerland, the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH) recommends meningococcal vaccination for children aged 3 to 18 months, adolescents aged 11 to 15 years and, regardless of age, people with certain immune disorders, recruits, some laboratory personnel and travelers to certain risk areas. Specifically, vaccination against the disease caused by serogroup B and with a quadruple vaccine against serogroups A, C, W, Y is recommended.
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