Vaccination May Be Economically and Epidemiologically Advantageous Over Frequent Screening for Gonorrhea Prevention.

BACKGROUND: Gonorrhea's rapid development of antimicrobial resistance underscores the importance of new prevention modalities. Recent evidence suggests that a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine may be partially effective against gonococcal infection. However, the viability of vaccination and the role it should play in gonorrhea prevention are an open question. METHODS: We modeled the transmission of gonorrhea over a 10-year period in a heterosexual population to find optimal patterns of year-over-year investment of a fixed budget in vaccination and screening programs. Each year, resources could be allocated to vaccinating people or enrolling them in a quarterly screening program. Stratifying by mode (vaccination vs. screening), sex (male vs. female), and enrollment venue (background screening vs. symptomatic visit), we consider 8 different ways of controlling gonorrhea. We then found the year-over-year pattern of investment among those 8 controls that most reduced the incidence of gonorrhea under different assumptions. A compartmental transmission model was parameterized from existing literature in the US context. RESULTS: Vaccinating men with recent symptomatic infection, which selected for higher sexual activity, was optimal for population-level gonorrhea control. Given a prevention budget of $3 per capita, 9.5% of infections could be averted ($299 per infection averted), decreasing gonorrhea sequelae and associated antimicrobial use by similar percentages. These results were consistent across sensitivity analyses that increased the budget, prioritized incidence or prevalence reductions in women, or lowered screening costs. Under a scenario where only screening was implemented, just 5.5% of infections were averted. CONCLUSIONS: A currently available vaccine, although only modestly effective, may be superior to frequent testing for population-level gonorrhea control.

Use of Cost-Effectiveness Analyses for Decisions About Vaccination Programs for Meningococcal Disease in the United States, United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Canada.

INTRODUCTION: Meningococcal vaccines to protect against invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) vary in terms of vaccine technology and serogroup coverage (Polysaccharide MnACWY, conjugated C and ACWY, outer membrane vesicle-based or protein-based B vaccines), and the national recommendations for each of them vary in terms of target population and number of doses. We sought to understand factors associated with the evolution of meningococcal vaccination program recommendations in four countries with formal evaluation processes: the UK, US, the Netherlands, and Canada. AREAS COVERED: A targeted review of published literature and internet sources for the four countries relating to meningococcal vaccination decision-making was conducted. The review focused on the impact of cost-effectiveness analyses on vaccine policy decisions and the extent to which variation in incidence of IMD and its potential catastrophic consequences influenced policy decisions.The evolution of meningococcal vaccine recommendations in the four countries was mainly driven by changes in vaccine availability and changes in serogroup incidence. Public pressure due to the catastrophic nature of IMD influenced recommendations. The role of cost-effectiveness analyses varied across the 4 countries. EXPERT OPINION: The value of implementing meningococcal vaccination programs should be assessed using factors beyond those included in traditional cost-effectiveness analyses.

Evaluating Vaccination Programs That Prevent Diseases With Potentially Catastrophic Health Outcomes: How Can We Capture the Value of Risk Reduction?

In the last 5 years, guidelines have been developed for performing cost-effectiveness analyses (CEAs) for the economic evaluation of vaccination programs against infectious diseases. However, these cost-effectiveness guidelines do not provide specific guidance for including the value of reducing the risk of rare but potentially catastrophic health outcomes, such as mortality or long-term sequelae. Alternative economic evaluation methods, including extended CEA, the impact inventory, cost-benefit analyses, willingness to pay or the value of a statistical life, to capture the value of this risk reduction could provide more complete estimates of the value of vaccination programs for diseases with potentially catastrophic health and nonhealth outcomes. In this commentary, using invasive meningococcal disease as an example, we describe these alternative approaches along with examples to illustrate how the benefits of vaccination in reducing risk of catastrophic health outcomes can be valued. These benefits are not usually captured in CEAs that only include population benefits estimated as the quality-adjusted life-years gained and reduced costs from avoided cases.

Cost-Effectiveness of 4CMenB Infant Vaccination in England: A Comprehensive Valuation Considering the Broad Impact of Serogroup B Invasive Meningococcal Disease.

OBJECTIVES: This cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of 4CMenB infant vaccination in England comprehensively considers the broad burden of serogroup B invasive meningococcal disease (MenB IMD), which has not been considered, or was only partially considered in previous CEAs. METHODS: A review of previous MenB vaccination CEAs was conducted to identify aspects considered in the evaluation of costs and health outcomes of the disease burden of MenB IMD. To inform the model structure and comprehensive analysis, the aspects were grouped into 5 categories. A stepwise analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of each category, and the more comprehensive consideration of disease burden, on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). RESULTS: MenB IMD incidence decreased by 46.0% in infants and children 0-4 years old within 5 years after introduction of the program. Stepwise inclusion of the 5 disease burden categories to a conventional narrow CEA setting reduced the ICER from £360 595 to £18 645-that is, considering the impact of all 5 categories, 4CMenB infant vaccination is cost-effective at a threshold of £20 000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSIONS: When considering comprehensively the MenB IMD burden, 4CMenB infant vaccination can be cost-effective, a finding contrary to previous CEAs. This analysis allows policy decision-makers globally to infer the impact of current disease burden considerations on the cost-effectiveness and the comprehensive assessment necessary for MenB IMD. Although this comprehensive CEA can help inform decision making today, it may be limited in capturing the full disease burden and complex interactions of health and economics of MenB IMD.

Epidemiological impact and cost-effectiveness of universal meningitis b vaccination among college students prior to college entry.

OBJECTIVES: University students are at significantly higher risk of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) infection, which can result in debilitating sequelae and excessive healthcare usage. This study aimed to elucidate the impact of universal pre-enrollment vaccination on MenB outbreak probability and the cost-effectiveness in outbreak-only scenarios. METHODS: We developed an infectious disease transmission model to determine the number of outbreaks averted under universal vaccination and a Markov model to simulate the costs accrued and QALYs lost associated with infection. The analysis was done on a hypothetical population of 40,000 college students over a four-year time frame. We used the outputs of these two models to calculate the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of universal MenB vaccination from a societal perspective. RESULTS: We find that the vaccination strategy was estimated to reduce MenB incidence by 63% and outbreak frequency rate by 90%. Under base case assumptions, the ICER of universal vaccination was $748,129 per QALY and in outbreak-only scenarios, it was cost-saving. CONCLUSIONS: Universal vaccination is not cost-effective at the current low MenB incidence levels and vaccine price in the U.S., but it is cost-saving if outbreak is imminent.

Health Technology Assessment for Vaccines Against Rare, Severe Infections: Properly Accounting for Serogroup B Meningococcal Vaccination's Full Social and Economic Benefits.

The high price of new generations of vaccines relative to their predecessors has become an important consideration in debates over whether the benefits of the new vaccines justify their costs. An increasingly central line of inquiry in the literature on valuing vaccination surrounds accounting for the full social and economic benefits of vaccination. This paper applies this emerging perspective to the particular case of vaccination against serogroup B meningococcal disease (MenB). We explore key issues involved in health technology assessments of MenB vaccination, which have led to pronounced heterogeneity in evaluation methods and recommendation outcomes across countries such as France, Germany, the US, and the UK. Accounting for typically neglected sources of socioeconomic benefit could potentially impact recommendation and reimbursement decisions. We propose a taxonomy of such benefits built around four dimensions: (i) internalized health benefits, (ii) internalized non-health benefits, (iii) externalized health benefits, and (iv) externalized non-health benefits. This approach offers a systematic, comprehensive evaluation framework that can be used in future assessment of MenB vaccines as well as other health technologies.

Health impact and cost-effectiveness of introducing the vaccine (Bexsero) against MenB disease into the Brazilian immunization programme.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is associated with a high mortality and severe sequelae. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the potential cost-effectiveness of the Bexsero vaccine in Brazil. We used a cohort model to compare routine vaccination against MenB disease with no vaccination. Epidemiological and cost estimates were obtained from the Brazilian Health Information System. The cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) averted and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was estimated assuming a 3-dose vaccination schedule, at R$90 (£ 20.50) per vaccine dose, 82.0% vaccine efficacy against MenB disease and a vaccine uptake of 90.0%. We estimated that 1,527 MenB cases would be prevented and 78 deaths averted. This strategy would cost R$ 762,381, 000 (£ 174,059,503) with a R$ 4,364,280 (£ 996,410) reduction in disease treatment costs. However, at an ICER of 372,256 (£ 84,990) per DALY averted, a vaccination programme is unlikely to be cost-effective.

Meningococcal disease in Italy: public concern, media coverage and policy change.

BACKGROUND: Between 2015 and 2017 six deaths due to meningitis in the Lombardy Region, Northern Italy, caught the attention of media and increased concern among the population, with a consequent increase in demand for vaccination. Considering the evidence about the impact of media coverage of health issues on public behaviour, this paper investigates the trend of media coverage and internet searches regarding meningitis in the Lombardy Region. METHODS: Content analysis of online articles published from January 2015 to May 2017 and analysis of Google Trends were carried out. A codebook was created in order to assess the content of each article analysed, based on six areas: article characteristics, information about meningococcal disease and vaccination, Local Health Authority activities, accuracy of information and tone of the message. RESULTS: Both public interest and media attention peaked in December 2016 and January 2017, when the Lombardy Regional Authority changed its policy by offering co-payment to adults with a saving of 50%. The frequency of meningitis coverage decreased after the announcement of policy change. For example, articles containing new information on meningitis or meningococcal vaccine (76 to 48%, p = 0.01) and preventive recommendations (31% down to 10%, p = 0.006) decreased significantly. An alarmist tone appeared in 21% of pre-policy articles that decreased to 5% post-policy (p = 0.03). CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest a role for the media in fostering public pressure towards health services and policy-makers. A collaboration between Public Health institutions and the media would be beneficial in order to improve communication with the public.

Cost-effectiveness of meningococcal polysaccharide serogroups A, C, W-135 and Y conjugate vaccine in Australian adolescents.

OBJECTIVES: The incidence of invasive meningitis disease (IMD) is increasing in Australia. A conjugate vaccine of meningococcal polysaccharide serogroups A, C, W and Y (MenACWY) is currently indicated for infants aged 12 months on the Australian National Immunisation Program. This study sought to determine the cost-effectiveness of a broader MenACWY vaccination program for Australians aged 15 to 19 years. METHODS: A Markov model was constructed to simulate the incidence and consequences of IMD in Australians aged 0-84 years, with follow up until age 85 years. The model comprised four health states: 'Alive with no previous IMD', 'Alive, post IMD without long-term complications', 'Alive, post IMD with long-term complications' and 'Dead'. Decision analysis compared the clinical consequences and costs of a vaccination program versus no vaccination from the perspective of the Australian health care system. Age-specific incidence of IMD and fatality rates were derived from Australian surveillance data. Vaccine coverage, vaccine efficacy and herd immunity were based on published data. The total cost for MenACWY vaccination was AU$56 per dose. Costs and health outcomes were discounted by 5% per annum (in the base-case analysis). RESULTS: Compared to no vaccination, a MenACWY vaccination program targeted at Australians aged 15-19 years was expected to prevent 1664 IMD cases in the Australian population aged 0-84 years followed up until age 85 years. The program would lead to 1131 life years (LYs) and 2058 quality adjusted life years (QALYs) gained at a total cost of AU$115 million (all discounted values). These equated to incremental cost-effectiveness ratios of AU$101,649 per LY gained and AU$55,857 per QALY gained. A probabilistic sensitivity analysis demonstrated a likelihood of cost-effectiveness of 34.6%, assuming a willingness to pay threshold of AU$50,000 per QALY gained. CONCLUSION: The likelihood of this program being cost-effective under a willingness to pay threshold AU$50,000 per QALY gained is 35%.

Cost-Effectiveness of Alternative Uses of Polyvalent Meningococcal Vaccines in Niger: An Agent-Based Transmission Modeling Study.

Background. Despite the introduction of an effective serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MenAfriVac™), sporadic epidemics of other Neisseria meningitidis serogroups remain a concern in Africa. Polyvalent meningococcal conjugate (PMC) vaccines may offer alternatives to current strategies that rely on routine infant vaccination with MenAfriVac plus, in the event of an epidemic, district-specific reactive campaigns using polyvalent meningococcal polysaccharide (PMP) vaccines. Methods. We developed an agent-based transmission model of N. meningitidis in Niger to compare the health effects and costs of current vaccination practice and 3 alternatives. Each alternative replaces MenAfriVac in the infant vaccination series with PMC and either replaces PMP with PMC for reactive campaigns or implements a one-time catch up campaign with PMC for children and young adults. Results. Over a 28-year period, replacement of MenAfriVac with PMC in the infant immunization series and of PMP in reactive campaigns would avert 63% of expected cases (95% prediction interval 49%-75%) if elimination of serogroup A is not followed by serogroup replacement. At a PMC price of $4/dose, this would cost $1412 ($81-$3510) per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) averted. If serogroup replacement occurs, the cost-effectiveness of this strategy improves to $662 (cost-saving, $2473) per DALY averted. Sensitivity analyses accounting for incomplete laboratory confirmation suggest that a catch-up PMC campaign would also meet standard cost-effectiveness thresholds. Limitations. The assumption that polyvalent vaccines offer similar protection against all serogroups is simplifying. Conclusions. The use of PMC vaccines to replace MenAfriVac in routine infant immunization and in district-specific reactive campaigns would have important health benefits and is likely to be cost-effective in Niger. An additional PMC catch-up campaign would also be cost-effective if we account for incomplete laboratory reporting.

[Efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines].

Meningococcal meningitis is an acute, severe respiratory infectious disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Immunization with meningococcal vaccine is the most effective measure to control and prevent transmission of meningococcal meningitis. Meningococcal vaccines in the Chinese market include meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, and a combined vaccine containing meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. This article reviews research progress on the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines, particularly in the Chinese market, to support appropriate use of the various meningococcal vaccines for preventing meningococcal meningitis.

[Efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines].

Meningococcal meningitis is an acute, severe respiratory infectious disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis. Immunization with meningococcal vaccine is the most effective measure to control and prevent transmission of meningococcal meningitis. Meningococcal vaccines in the Chinese market include meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine, meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine, and a combined vaccine containing meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. This article reviews research progress on the efficacy, safety, and cost-effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines, particularly in the Chinese market, to support appropriate use of the various meningococcal vaccines for preventing meningococcal meningitis.

Cost calculator for mass vaccination response to a US college campus outbreak of serogroup B meningococcal disease.

Serogroup B (MenB) is the leading cause of meningococcal disease among 16- to 23-year-olds in the United States and has been responsible for all 10 college outbreaks between 2011 and 2017. Outbreak-associated costs levy a substantial and unforeseen burden on colleges/universities and surrounding communities, in part because they involve collaboration with local and state health departments to develop points-of-dispensing (PODs) outbreak response plans and rapid mass vaccination of a large at-risk student population. The MenB outbreak at Providence College in 2015 was used as a case study to develop an Excel-based Meningococcal Outbreak Cost Calculator that uses target populations for mass vaccination to estimate the costs and resources associated with a meningococcal disease outbreak response. Resources include labor, medical supply, and other nonlabor costs (eg, vaccine-related adverse event costs) over an 18-month period following the outbreak declaration. Based on the actual Providence College population partially or fully vaccinated with MenB-FHbp (Trumenba®, Bivalent rLP2086) (3-dose schedule), the calculator estimated aggregate direct costs of $1,350,963 over 18 months post-outbreak for 4,418 individuals. For planned full vaccination of the enrolled undergraduate population (4,795 individuals), the tool estimated total costs of $1,798,399. In both cases, the majority of costs were for medical supplies (88%-89%) and contract services (7%-9%). This calculator can help to plan a mass vaccination campaign for MenB outbreak control, and underscores the need to vaccinate pre-emptively against diverse disease-causing strains before an outbreak occurs.

Cost Effectiveness of Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccination in College-Aged Young Adults.

INTRODUCTION: Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B is the most common form of meningococcal infection in young adults in the U.S. Vaccines have recently become available, but it is not clear that the benefits outweigh the costs. The purpose of this study was to assess cost effectiveness and determine potentially favorable conditions for universal vaccination. METHODS: Costs and benefits of universal vaccination at college entry versus no universal vaccination with an outbreak response were estimated in 2018 in the context of a mid-sized U.S.-based 4-year college from both a health sector and a societal perspective. Probability, cost, and utility data were obtained from the published literature. Costs (2015 U.S.$) and benefits were discounted at 3%. One-way and multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed including variations in the specific vaccine used. Further testing of the model's parameters at extremes was used to identify favorable conditions for universal vaccination. RESULTS: The incremental cost per quality-adjusted life year gained with universal vaccination was $13.9 million under the health sector perspective and $13.8 million under the societal perspective, each perspective was compared with a willingness-to-pay threshold of $150,000 per quality-adjusted life year. Multivariable probabilistic sensitivity analysis showed that universal vaccination was not the preferred strategy for <$15 million per quality-adjusted life year. Under an extremely favorable model, a universal vaccination strategy became cost effective for vaccine series costing <$65. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that universal vaccination at college entry is not cost effective. The rarity of N. meningitidis serogroup B contributes to the lack of cost effectiveness for universal vaccination.

Update From the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices.

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of medical and public health experts, meets 3 times per year to develop recommendations for vaccine use in the United States. There are 15 voting members, and their terms are for 4 years. ACIP members and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention staff discuss the epidemiology of vaccine-preventable diseases and vaccine research, effectiveness, safety data, and clinical trial results. Representatives from the American Academy of Pediatrics (including D. W. K.) and the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society are present as liaisons to the ACIP. In the February 2018 meeting, important votes on the use of influenza vaccine and hepatitis vaccines were held, and updates on human papillomavirus, meningococcal, and anthrax vaccines, among others, were provided.

Challenges and opportunities for meningococcal vaccination in the developing world.

Meningococcal disease continues to be a life threatening infection with high morbidity and mortality even in appropriately treated patients. Meningococcal vaccination plays a major role in the control of the disease; however, implementing vaccination remains problematic in the developing world. The objective of this review is to identify the challenges facing the use of meningococcal vaccines in the developing world in order to discuss the opportunities and available solutions to improve immunization in these countries. Inadequate epidemiologic information necessary to implement vaccination and financial challenges predominate. Multiple measures are needed to achieve the successful implementation of meningococcal conjugate vaccination programs that protect against circulating serogroups in developing countries including enhanced surveillance systems, financial support and aid through grants, product development partnerships that are the end result of effective collaboration and communication between different interdependent stakeholders to develop affordable vaccines, and demonstration of the cost-effectiveness of new meningococcal vaccines.

The cost-effectiveness of alternative vaccination strategies for polyvalent meningococcal vaccines in Burkina Faso: A transmission dynamic modeling study.

BACKGROUND: The introduction of a conjugate vaccine for serogroup A Neisseria meningitidis has dramatically reduced disease in the African meningitis belt. In this context, important questions remain about the performance of different vaccine policies that target remaining serogroups. Here, we estimate the health impact and cost associated with several alternative vaccination policies in Burkina Faso. METHODS AND FINDINGS: We developed and calibrated a mathematical model of meningococcal transmission to project the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) averted and costs associated with the current Base policy (serogroup A conjugate vaccination at 9 months, as part of the Expanded Program on Immunization [EPI], plus district-specific reactive vaccination campaigns using polyvalent meningococcal polysaccharide [PMP] vaccine in response to outbreaks) and three alternative policies: (1) Base Prime: novel polyvalent meningococcal conjugate (PMC) vaccine replaces the serogroup A conjugate in EPI and is also used in reactive campaigns; (2) Prevention 1: PMC used in EPI and in a nationwide catch-up campaign for 1-18-year-olds; and (3) Prevention 2: Prevention 1, except the nationwide campaign includes individuals up to 29 years old. Over a 30-year simulation period, Prevention 2 would avert 78% of the meningococcal cases (95% prediction interval: 63%-90%) expected under the Base policy if serogroup A is not replaced by remaining serogroups after elimination, and would avert 87% (77%-93%) of meningococcal cases if complete strain replacement occurs. Compared to the Base policy and at the PMC vaccine price of US$4 per dose, strategies that use PMC vaccine (i.e., Base Prime and Preventions 1 and 2) are expected to be cost saving if strain replacement occurs, and would cost US$51 (-US$236, US$490), US$188 (-US$97, US$626), and US$246 (-US$53, US$703) per DALY averted, respectively, if strain replacement does not occur. An important potential limitation of our study is the simplifying assumption that all circulating meningococcal serogroups can be aggregated into a single group; while this assumption is critical for model tractability, it would compromise the insights derived from our model if the effectiveness of the vaccine differs markedly between serogroups or if there are complex between-serogroup interactions that influence the frequency and magnitude of future meningitis epidemics. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that a vaccination strategy that includes a catch-up nationwide immunization campaign in young adults with a PMC vaccine and the addition of this new vaccine into EPI is cost-effective and would avert a substantial portion of meningococcal cases expected under the current World Health Organization-recommended strategy of reactive vaccination. This analysis is limited to Burkina Faso and assumes that polyvalent vaccines offer equal protection against all meningococcal serogroups; further studies are needed to evaluate the robustness of this assumption and applicability for other countries in the meningitis belt.

The unattainable criteria for new infant vaccines.

BACKGROUND: In 2013, the US Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) opted against adding meningococcal vaccines to the infant schedule due to poor cost-effectiveness. This raises a policy question: if meningococcal disease is too rare to justify routine vaccination, are there other vaccine-preventable causes of US infant deaths that could be supported? METHODS: We tabulated US infant deaths from 2009-2013 using the CDC WONDER database. These causes of death were then categorized into one of 3 categories: 1) vaccine-preventable using currently available interventions; 2) potentially vaccine-preventable within the next 10 years; and 3) not preventable. RESULTS: From 19.8 million births (3.9 million/year), ∼122,000 infants died (0.62%). Of these, 181 (0.15% of all deaths) were preventable using currently available vaccines, while an additional 779 were categorized as potentially preventable in the next 10 y. By exclusion, 121,040 (99.2%) were judged 'not vaccine-preventable'. Meningococcal deaths contributed at most 0.03% of all infant deaths, but accounted for 17-34% of current vaccine-preventable deaths. CONCLUSIONS: The low number of vaccine-preventable deaths in the US makes it increasingly difficult to justify the introduction of any new infant vaccines.

Successful African introduction of a new Group A meningococcal conjugate vaccine: Future challenges and next steps.

The introduction of a new Group A meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenAfriVacR, has been a important public health success. Group A meningococcal meningitis has disappeared in all countries where the new Men A conjugate vaccine has been used at public health scale. However, continued control of Group A disease in sub-Saharan Africa will require that community immunity against Group A meningococci be maintained. Modeling studies have shown that unless herd immunity is maintained Group A meningococcal disease will return. To ensure that African populations remain protected birth cohorts must be protected with an EPI formulation of MenAfriVacR (5 mcg) given at 9 months with Measles 1. In addition, populations born after the initial 1-29 year old campaigns and consequently not yet immunized with the new Men A conjugate vaccine, will have to be immunized in country-specific catch-up campaigns. Countries with poor EPI coverage (Measles 1 coverage < 60%) will likely need quinquennial vaccination campaigns aimed at covering 1-4 year olds. Implementing these strategies is the only sure way of ensuring that Group A meningococcal meningitis epidemics will not recur. A second problem that requires urgent attention is the challenge of dealing with Non-A meningococcal meningitis epidemics in sub-Saharan Africa. Groups C, W and X meningococci are well-established circulating strains in sub-Saharan Africa and are responsible for yearly focal meningitis epidemics that vary in severity and remain unpredictable as to size and geographic distribution. For this reason, polyvalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines that are affordable and appropriate for the African context must be developed and introduced. These new meningococcal vaccines when combined with more affordable pneumococcal conjugate vaccines offer the promise of a meningitis-free Sub-Saharan Africa.