This article, published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, reviews published studies of meningococcal carriage in the African meningitis belt in order to better understand the potential impact of meningococcal conjugate vaccines. The review concludes that, in order to maximize the public health impact of serogroup A conjugate vaccines, immunization needs to be targeted at the groups who constitute the largest reservoir of infection. However, the limited data available from the studies included in the review are not sufficient to indicate definitively who these groups are in the African meningitis belt. Ultimately, further carriage studies would be helpful to guide the most effective deployment of the vaccines currently under development. ABSTRACT ONLY. (Learn how users in developing countries can gain free access to journal articles.)

Author(s): Trotter CL, Greenwood BM

Published: 2007

Resource types: Peer-reviewed journal

Diseases: Meningococcus

Topics: Disease burden and surveillance; Disease/vaccine specific information

Regions: Africa