Nigeria has become the first country in the world to roll out the “revolutionary” new Men5CV vaccine against meningitis.
According to the World Health Organization, the new vaccine is reported to protect against the five major strains of the disease that are prevalent in Nigeria, unlike the initial vaccine that works against only one strain.
Data from the WHO shows that in 2023, a 50% rise in annual cases was reported across 26 African countries regarded as meningitis hyper-endemic countries.
Between last October and mid-March this year, 1,742 cases were suspected in the country, with 153 deaths recorded in seven states in Nigeria.
“Meningitis is an old and deadly foe, but this new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the disease, preventing future outbreaks and saving many lives,” says WHO Director-General, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, “Nigeria’s rollout brings us one step closer to our goal to eliminate meningitis by 2030″, he added.
The revolutionary new vaccine offers a powerful shield against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W, Y and X) in a single shot. All five strains cause meningitis and blood poisoning. This provides broader protection than the current vaccine used in much of Africa, which is only effective against the A strain.
The vaccine and emergency vaccination activities are funded by Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which funds the global meningitis vaccine stockpile, and supports lower-income countries with routine vaccination against meningitis.
