Good News and Bad News — 4CMenB Vaccine for Group B Neisseria meningitidis

Neisseria meningitidis remains a major cause of meningitis, sepsis, and other serious infections globally. Almost all meningococcal infections are caused by one of six capsular groups (A, B, C, W, X, and Y) that are distinguished by different biochemical compositions of the polysaccharide capsules. Over the past two decades, the use of meningococcal capsular polysaccharide–protein conjugate vaccines has led to major successes in the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease. For example, the introduction of monovalent meningococcal capsular group A conjugate vaccine in the “African meningitis belt” (from Senegal to Ethiopia) and meningococcal group C conjugate vaccine in the United Kingdom . . .