CDC discovers new meningitis vaccine could prevent 91% of strains
As teenagers are mobile and encounter more types of bacteria they are more at risk, making meningitis a major worry for parents.
Laboratory studies by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found a new vaccine against Meningitis B manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline protects against more than nine out of 10 strains of the disease.
As teenagers are mobile and encounter more types of bacteria they are more at risk, making meningitis a major worry for parents.
Hormonal changes also make them more prone to the disease.
This life-threatening illness can infect the bloodstream and the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.
The disease is very easily transferable through close or prolonged contact with throat or respiratory secretions, such as by kissing, coughing or living to someone suffering from it.
Meningitis B is the most common form of the disease and it is very difficult to prevent as there are so many strains to target.
However the study found that the new vaccine called MenB-4C or Bexsero covers up to 91 percent of strains causing the disease in children and young adults.
Manufacturing pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline and US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) conducted experiments and found these results.
The work was published mSphere, an open access journal from the American Society for Microbiology.