Predicted strain coverage of a meningococcal multicomponent vaccine (4CMenB) in Europe: qualitative and quantitative assessment

Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases Area: News The novel multicomponent protein-based vaccine against meningococcal capsular group B (MenB), 4CMenB represents the culmination of decades of research, and its licensing in the EU is considered a major public health milestone. In The Lancet Infectious Diseases, researchers present a study that attempts to calculate the potential strain coverage of this vaccine.in Europe   Invasive MenB strains isolated mainly in the most recent full epidemiological year in England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, and Norway were assessed. To investigate whether generalisation of coverage applied to the rest of Europe, isolates from the Czech Republic and Spain were also assessed.   A total of 1052 strains were collected from July, 2007, to June, 2008, from England and Wales, France, Germany, Italy, and Norway.   . All MenB strains contained at least one gene encoding a major antigen in the vaccine. Meningococcal antigen typing system (MATS) predicted that 78% ...
Source: NeLM - News - Category: Drugs & Pharmacology Source Type: news