Nigeria becomes the first country to introduce ‘revolutionary’ meningitis vaccine, says WHO

Nigeria has turn out to be the first country to roll out a “revolutionary” five-in-one vaccine towards meningitis, the World Health Organization (WHO) stated in a press release on Friday.

The Men5CV vaccine presents a strong defend towards the 5 main strains of the meningococcal micro organism — A, C, W, Y and X — which trigger the illness.

Known by the model title MenFive, it gives broader safety than the vaccine at the moment utilized in a lot of Africa, which is just efficient towards the A pressure.

Defeating a ‘lethal foe’

“Meningitis is an previous and lethal foe, however this new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the illness, stopping future outbreaks and saving many lives,” stated Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO Director-General.

The rollout in Nigeria represents one step nearer in direction of the purpose of complete elimination by 2030, he added.

Meningitis is the irritation of the tissues surrounding the mind and spinal twine and might be deadly. Symptoms typically embody headache, fever and stiff neck.

There are a number of causes, together with viral, bacterial, fungal and parasitic pathogens. The most severe — bacterial meningitis — can even end in blood poisoning and may severely disable or kill inside 24 hours after being contracted.

Vaccination marketing campaign

Nigeria is amongst the 26 meningitis hyper-endemic nations of Africa, an space often known as the African Meningitis Belt.

WHO stated 153 individuals died in an outbreak in Nigeria between 1 October 2023 and 11 March 2024. A vaccination marketing campaign was launched in late March to attain greater than 1,000,000 individuals, aged 29 and underneath.

“Northern Nigeria, notably the states of Jigawa, Bauchi and Yobe had been badly hit by the lethal outbreak of meningitis, and this vaccine gives well being employees with a brand new software to each cease this outbreak but additionally put the country on a path to elimination,” stated Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate of the Nigerian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare.

WHO stated the new vaccine has the potential to considerably cut back meningitis circumstances and advance progress in defeating the illness, which is very necessary for nations like Nigeria, the place a number of serogroups are prevalent.