This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine shows promise in Burkina Faso
In the 2 years since introduction of the new serogroup A meningococcal conjugate vaccine into Burkina Faso, there has only been one confirmed case of meningococcal A meningitis in an unvaccinated resident, and none in vaccinated people. This represents a 99.8% risk reduction in disease among all age groups, according results of a recent study.
The meningococcal A conjugate vaccine (PsA-TT; MenAfriVac, Serum Institute of India Ltd.) was introduced at a cost of $0.40 per dose, and because of the efforts of health officials there, Burkina Faso achieved greater than 90% coverage in all regions, target age groups, and both sexes, according to the CDC.
This achievement “demonstrates that coordinated preparation through microplanning, community engagement and mobilization, and development of a comprehensive communication plan” can lead to successful vaccination campaigns.
The campaign targeted those age 1 to 29 years, which equals nearly 70% of that country’s population of 16 million, according to CDC epidemiologists Sarah Meyer, MD, MPH, and Ryan Novak, PhD.
“These results demonstrate that mass vaccination of a large proportion of the population is an effective strategy to rapidly achieve high vaccine coverage,” the researchers said.
They added that their findings — which demonstrate dramatic decreases in disease rates across the board — are suggestive of a herd immunity effect and hold promise for the elimination of epidemic meningitis in Sub-Saharan Africa.
It was estimated that more than 100 million people in Africa received the PsA-TT vaccine in 2012. – John Schoen
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
Sarah Meyer, MD, MPH, can be reached at 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333; email: SMeyer@cdc.gov.
Ryan Novak, PhD, can be reached at 1600 Clifton Road NE, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333; email: RNovak@cdc.gov.
