title: Evaluating the post-licensure effectiveness of a group B meningococcal vaccine in New Zealand: a multi-faceted strategy.
abstract: A nationwide strategy to control a group B meningococcal disease epidemic in New Zealand using an epidemic strain-specific vaccine (MeNZB ) commenced in 2004. In the absence of randomised controlled trials investigating the efficacy of this particular vaccine, a complement of observational methods are planned to evaluate the post-licensure effectiveness of this vaccine strategy. The two main approaches involve a Poisson regression model investigating the overall impact of the MeNZB programme on disease rates over time capitalising on detailed population-based disease surveillance data and the staged roll-out of the vaccine campaign, and a case-control study that aims to estimate vaccine effectiveness in pre-school children. The studies are designed to minimise the potential biases inherent in all observational methods and provide critical data on the effectiveness of a major public health intervention.
authors.affiliation: University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. s.ameratunga@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: Shanthi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ameratunga
authors.forename: Alex
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Macmillan
authors.forename: Joanna
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stewart
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Scott
authors.forename: Kim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mulholland
authors.forename: Sue
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Crengle
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001428:Bacterial Vaccines / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D009313:National Health Programs; D038541:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B; D009520:New Zealand / Q000453:epidemiology; D016012:Poisson Distribution
chemical_list: D001428:Bacterial Vaccines