Abstract

Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis is an important public health problem worldwide, though incidence and epidemiology varies greatly by geography. The African meningitis belt, stretching from Senegal in the West to Ethiopia in the east experiences by far the highest burden of disease, with epidemics occurring periodically, though irregularly in the dry season. In the UK meningococcal disease is relatively rare, with incidence currently around 2 per 100,000, although is still much feared by parents. Vaccines are now available against nearly all of the disease causing strains. During this talk I will compare and contrast the epidemiology of meningococcal infection in Africa and the UK and discuss challenges to vaccine development and implementation. I will describe my research into the predicted and actual impact of MenAfriVac® a group A conjugate vaccine used in the meningitis belt, and Bexsero® a vaccine designed to protect against group B disease in the UK.