Advances in the Development of Vaccines againstNeisseria meningitidis

A lthough two centuries have passed since Vieusseux described epidemic meningococcal disease, 1 Neisseria meningitidis remains a leading cause of meningitis and sepsis. Overwhelming meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and is associated with mortality rates exceeding 20%. 2 Thus, efforts to control the disease have focused on vaccination. In the past, vaccines against meningococcal disease have failed to provide immunogenicity and long-term protection in infants, who are at greatest risk. Although recent vaccines have improved coverage for this age group, there is still no broadly effective vaccine against N. meningitidis group B (NMB), now the predominant disease-causing isolate in industrialized countries.