Meningococcal disease and its control with meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines

This article summarizes background information and specific evidence regarding the use of meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines. On the basis of currently available data, it seems premature to recommend that immunization against meningococcal disease be included within routine immunization programmes in developing countries. Factors contributing to this judgement include the irregularity of epidemics, the changing serogroups of meningococci, the different age distribution of cases in different areas, low efficacy of a single dose of meningococcal vaccine in children below 2 years of age, short duration of post-immunization immunity in infants and young children, and finally, the still high cost of current meningococcal vaccines.The meningococcal vaccines can be effective, however, in controlling epidemics due to meningococci of serogroups A or C provided they are quickly administered to the age groups within the population who are most at risk.