New vaccine trials show promise in fight against meningitis | Health info

Phase three trials show that the NmCV-5 vaccine can elicit an immune response against the five major strains of meningococcal bacteria.

A new meningitis vaccine tested in two African countries showed promise in fighting the disease, eliciting immune responses against five main strains.

A new study published Wednesday by the New England Journal of Medicine said the phase three randomized trials were conducted in 1,800 people in the West African countries of Mali and The Gambia.

The NmCV-5 vaccine being tested, developed by the PATH health organization and the Serum Institute of India, was tested and compared to the WHO-approved and licensed MenACWY-D vaccine in participants in three age groups between two and 29 years.

The results showed that the immune response to a dose of NmCV-5 was significantly superior to that of the licensed vaccine. According to the authors, no major safety issues were found during the trial.

Study co-author Ed Clarke said the researchers were “excited” about the research results.

“We expect NmCV-5 to provide children and young adults with reliable protection against meningitis…The new vaccine will be an essential tool to interrupt and prevent devastating epidemics of meningitis in the meningitis belt” , Clarke said in a statement.

Meningitis is the inflammation of the membranes and protective tissues that cover the spinal cord and the brain. It is caused by various species of bacteria, fungi, parasites and viruses.

Symptoms of the disease include nausea, vomiting, fever, and neck pain. It is estimated that approximately 250,000 people die each year from meningitis.

“Preventing catastrophic results”

“Epidemic preparedness is the way forward to provide available, affordable and accessible vaccines suitable for areas prone to meningitis epidemics. Having meningitis vaccines should be a public health priority to prevent catastrophic consequences during an epidemic and would be a game-changer in the fight against meningitis,” said study co-author Ama Umesi.

Bacterial meningitis is the most common form of the disease and can be fatal within 24 hours, according to the WHO, and cannot be treated at home. Although it occurs worldwide, some of the highest numbers of cases are in sub-Saharan Africa.

A WHO roadmap, called Defeat meningitis by 2030aims to eliminate epidemics of bacterial meningitis by 2030, reduce “vaccine-preventable bacterial meningitis” by 50% and deaths by 70%.