Overview of Meningococcal Disease

Meningococcal disease refers to any illness caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis. These bacteria can cause two main forms of potentially deadly disease - meningitis (infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord) or septicemia (bloodstream infection). The bacteria are transmitted from person to person through respiratory and throat secretions from close or lengthy contact such as kissing, sneezing, coughing or sharing drinking glasses or eating utensils. Meningococcal disease progresses rapidly and can lead to death or permanent disability like hearing loss, neurologic problems, limb amputations within just one day. While it remains a rather rare disease in most communities, outbreaks can occur occasionally on college campuses or among other closed gatherings when infection spreads rapidly between individuals.

Available Vaccines and Their Efficacy

There are two main types of Meningococcal Vaccines available globally - polysaccharide vaccines and conjugate vaccines. The older polysaccharide vaccines protect against four serogroups (A, C, Y, W) but have limited effectiveness in children under 2 years of age and do not provide long term protection or eliminate nasal colonization and transmission of the bacteria. In contrast, conjugate vaccines (MenACWY and MenB) work by linking the polysaccharide antigens to a protein carrier to enhance immune response. These are now the preferred options for routine protection as they induce stronger, longer lasting immunity even in younger age groups and can help reduce nasopharyngeal colonization in some cases. Conjugate MenACWY vaccines have replaced polysaccharide vaccines in national immunization programs worldwide and provide above 85% protection against the four main disease-causing serogroups for 3-5 years after vaccination. Serogroup B vaccines target specific protein antigens common to strain variants of this serogroup and confer around 50-75% protection for 2-4 years.

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