The Global Meningococcal Initiative: global epidemiology, the impact of vaccines on meningococcal disease and the importance of herd protection.
The 2015 Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI) meeting discussed the global importance of meningococcal disease (MD) and its continually changing epidemiology. Areas covered: Although recent vaccination programs have been successful in reducing incidence in many countries (e.g. Neisseria meningitidis serogroup [Men]C in Brazil, MenA in the African meningitis belt), new clones have emerged, causing outbreaks (e.g. MenW in South America, MenC in Nigeria and Niger). The importance of herd protection was highlighted, emphasizing the need for high vaccination uptake among those with the highest carriage rates, as was the need for boosters to maintain individual and herd protection following decline of immune response after primary immunization. Expert commentary: The GMI Global Recommendations for Meningococcal Disease were updated to include a recommendation to enable access to whole-genome sequencing as for surveillance, guidance on strain typing to guide use of subcapsular vaccines, and recognition of the importance of advocacy and awareness campaigns.
a Vaccine Evaluation Unit , Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary , Manchester , UK.
Ray
R
Borrow
b Laboratory Gram - Positive Coccus , Instituto de Salud Pública de Chile , Santiago , Chile.
Pedro
P
Alarcón
c Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine , University of the East - Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Medical Center , Quezon City , Philippines.
Josefina
J
Carlos
d Department of Bacteriology and Immunology , Norwegian Institute of Public Health , Oslo , Norway.
Dominique A
DA
Caugant
e School of Social and Community Medicine , University of Bristol , Bristol , UK.
Hannah
H
Christensen
f Pediatric Telemedicine Service , Malvinas Children's Hospital , Buenos Aires , Argentina.
Roberto
R
Debbag
g Department of Social and Preventive Medicine , Laval University , Quebec City , QC , Canada.
Philippe
P
De Wals
h Center for Infectious Disease Research , Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública , Cuernavaca , Mexico.
Gabriela
G
Echániz-Aviles
a Vaccine Evaluation Unit , Public Health England, Manchester Royal Infirmary , Manchester , UK.
Jamie
J
Findlow
i Meningitis Research Foundation , Thornbury , UK.
Chris
C
Head
j Governing Council , Confederation of Meningitis Organisations, Head Office , Bristol , UK.
Daphne
D
Holt
k Infectious Disease Surveillance Center , National Institute of Infectious Diseases , Tokyo , Japan.
Hajime
H
Kamiya
l Child Health Research Foundation, Department of Microbiology , Dhaka Shishu Hospital , Dhaka , Bangladesh.
Samir K
SK
Saha
m Infectious Disease Surveillance Center , Scientific Research Institute of Children's Infections , St Petersburg , Russia.
Sergey
S
Sidorenko
n Department of Infection & Epidemiology , Institut Pasteur , Paris , France.
Muhamed-Kheir
MK
Taha
o Department of Veterinary Medicine , University of Cambridge , Cambridge , UK.
Caroline
C
Trotter
p Meningococcal Reference Laboratory , Institute of Health Carlos III , Madrid , Spain.
Julio A
JA
Vázquez Moreno
q Centre for Respiratory Diseases and Meningitis , National Institute for Communicable Diseases , Johannesburg , South Africa.
Anne
A
von Gottberg
r Department of Pediatrics , FCM da Santa Casa de São Paulo , São Paulo , Brazil.
Marco A P
MA
Sáfadi
D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs; D015994:Incidence; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009345:Neisseria meningitidis / Q000145:classification / Q000276:immunology; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
Epidemiology; Global Meningococcal Initiative; MenW; Neisseria meningitidis; meningococcal disease; outbreaks; prevention; serogroups; surveillance; vaccination