International Pharmaceutical News丨The world's first pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine covering group X is launched in this country!

The world's first pentavalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine ( meningococcal vaccine ) covering group X was launched in Africa (picture below)!

Meningitis is a serious infectious disease caused by viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites. The main symptoms include headache and fever. Bacterial meningitis can also lead to serious conditions such as sepsis. The infected person may die within 24 hours, and the survivors may be disabled (see the figure below).

In a historic step, Nigeria has become the first country in the world to launch a new vaccine (called Men5CV) recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent outbreaks of bacterial meningitis caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Nigeria is one of 26 countries in Africa with a high prevalence of meningitis and is located in the region known as the African Meningitis Belt. The outbreak of meningitis caused by serogroup C in the country resulted in 1,742 suspected cases of meningitis, including 101 confirmed cases and 153 deaths in seven of Nigeria’s 36 states (Adamawa, Bauchi, Gombe, Jigawa, Katsina, Yobe and Zamfara). The new meningococcal vaccine, which was first approved for use in Nigeria, covers five serogroups: A, C, W, Y and X, and provides strong protection against all five meningococcal species with a single dose. (The pentavalent meningococcal vaccine approved by the US FDA in October last year covers five serogroups: A, B, C, W, and Y. This Men5CV does not include group B but covers group X).

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