title: Awareness of meningococcal disease among travelers from the United Kingdom to the meningitis belt in Africa.
abstract: Meningococcal disease causes considerable morbidity and has a high case-fatality rate. In the United Kingdom, the meningococcal quadrivalent vaccine is recommended for travelers visiting the meningitis belt of Africa. We analyzed 302 responses to a cross-sectional study conducted in 2010 of travelers who had visited the meningitis belt recently or were shortly due to travel there. Using the results of an online questionnaire, we assessed knowledge and understanding of meningococcal disease and likelihood of uptake of meningococcal immunization before travel. Meningococcal vaccine uptake was 30.1%. Although global scores in the questionnaire did not correlate with vaccine uptake, knowledge of the meningitis belt and knowledge of certain key symptoms or signs were statistically associated with high vaccine uptake. We conclude that improved education of travelers may improve vaccine uptake before travel to the meningitis belt in Africa.
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference, Research and Training in Travel Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom; International Health Centre, Preventive Medicine Department, Bellvitge Hospital, L'Hospitalet De Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Paediatrics, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom anna.goodman@nhs.net.
authors.forename: Anna L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Goodman
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference, Research and Training in Travel Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom; International Health Centre, Preventive Medicine Department, Bellvitge Hospital, L'Hospitalet De Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Paediatrics, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Masuet-Aumatell
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference, Research and Training in Travel Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom; International Health Centre, Preventive Medicine Department, Bellvitge Hospital, L'Hospitalet De Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Paediatrics, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Halbert
authors.affiliation: Department of Infection and Immunity and World Health Organization Collaborating Centre for Reference, Research and Training in Travel Medicine, University College London, London, United Kingdom; International Health Centre, Preventive Medicine Department, Bellvitge Hospital, L'Hospitalet De Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain; Department of Paediatrics, University College London Hospitals, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jane N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Zuckerman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000349:Africa; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000276:immunology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology; D008875:Middle Aged; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014195:Travel; D006113:United Kingdom; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines