Vaccine against meningococcal B: The first data of a clinical act

Effective is the vaccine against meningococcal type B, according to the study, which was based on the systematic…
administration in Britain and published in a reputable scientific journal.
The study provides the first data of a clinical act relating to the efficacy of the vaccine against serogroup B meningococcal disease and published in the scientific journal The Lancet (27/10).
The United Kingdom is the first country which introduced the vaccine against meningococcal disease type B in the -funded by the state – national immunization program, presenting high rates of administration.
In particular, over 90% of the at least 600.000 infants, aged 0-1 year, which was suitable for grafting, they received two doses.
The first ten months of implementation of the programme, the preliminary data showed an estimated vaccine efficacy 82,9% against any strain of meningitis B, and 94,2% in the strains that can be prevented through vaccination, for all the children who received the first two of the three recommended doses.
In June 2016, the recorded incidents of the disease have decreased by 50% to suitable for vaccination of the population, compared with the average number of incidents recorded in total in the last four years, regardless of the vaccination status of the infant or the expected coverage of the strain of the vaccine.
The national mechanism for surveillance of the United Kingdom will continue to systematically monitor the long-term impact of the programme.
“The high rate of administration reflects the public demand and acceptance of the new vaccine against meningococcal disease type B”, stress the authors. “The data on high effectiveness of the vaccine, we need to reassure Health Authorities that are considering introduction of the vaccine against meningococcal disease type B in their National program.”
What’s going on in our country
In Greece, the vaccine is not part of the National Immunization Program, with the argument that the incidence of the disease is steadily low.
However, the opposite view are the pediatricians of the country, who consider necessary the inclusion in the Programme, so as to compensate, at least for the at-risk kids (under a year). The cost of the vaccine is approximately 100 euro for each dose. Newborns (
According to data from the National Reference Center for Meningitis in Greece are recorded in the last years, an average of 60 cases and 5 deaths of children from this disease (8-10% mortality) per year, while the 7-8 children will live with a heavy wheelchair permanent damage in their lives (15-19% complications).
The last month has been recorded a single case of the disease in Attica, and three in Crete.
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