Fighting Neisseria meningitidis: past and current vaccination strategies.

ABSTRACT

INTRODUCTION: Neisseria meningitidis infections represent a serious health problem that can lead to invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a life-threatening condition associated with significant morbidity and mortality. IMD could however be preventable via vaccination. During the past five decades, vaccines against N. meningitidis capsular groups A, C, W and Y were introduced into the market. Recently, group B vaccines based on N. meninigitidis recombinant antigens and outer membrane vesicles have been developed and novel vaccine candidates are under evaluation. Areas covered In this review we discuss the main meningococcal vaccines available, with focus on immunogenicity data, vaccination impact on disease burden and persistence of vaccine-induced immune response. Preliminary results on new vaccine formulations, potentially able to provide multi-group coverage, are also reported. Expert commentary Continuous surveillance and optimization of national immunization programs are required in order not only to promptly fight future outbreaks but also to identify possible changes in N. meningitidis epidemiology.