Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Pathog Dis 2020 Jul 8. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Department of Immunology, Adolfo Lutz Institute, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

The elderly are more likely to die when infected with Neisseria meningitidis. Aging is associated with immune system dysfunctions that impair responses to vaccines and infections. Therefore, immunization of middle-aged individuals could be beneficial. Read More

Surg Infect (Larchmt) 2020 Jul 7. Epub 2020 Jul 7.

Department of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Centre Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia.

Patients who have had splenectomies are at increased risk for severe infections and overwhelming sepsis caused by pneumococci, meningococci, and other encapsulated pathogens. Prophylactic measures are important to reduce mortality in this group; among them are vaccinations, antibiotic prophylaxis, and education. We performed a retrospective audit of post-splenectomy prophylactic measures, focusing on vaccinations and antibiotic prophylaxis coverage. Read More

Rev Esp Salud Publica 2020 Jul 8;94. Epub 2020 Jul 8.

Servicio de Prevención de la Enfermedad. Subdirección General de Promoción, Prevención y Educación para la Salud. Dirección General de Salud Pública. Consejería de Sanidad. Madrid. España.

Objective: In 2019 the Interterritorial Board of the Spanish National Health System approved the modification of the vaccination strategy against meningococcus. The objective of this study was to evaluate the meningococcal ACWY catch-up vaccination program in adolescents born in 2001 and 2002 in the Community of Madrid.

Methods: Cross-sectional population-based study. Read More

Eur J Clin Microbiol Infect Dis 2020 Jul 3. Epub 2020 Jul 3.

Invasive Bacterial Infections Unit, Institute Pasteur, Paris, France.

A local outbreak caused by Neisseria meningitidis occurred in the migration camp in the Greek island of Lesbos during January-February 2020 (4 of 5 cases). In total, 5 samples positive for N. meningitidis were further investigated for sero-/genogroup, PorA, and WGS analysis. Read More

Euro Surveill 2020 Jun;25(25)

Institute for Hygiene and Microbiology, National Reference Laboratory for Meningococci and Haemophilus influenzae, University of Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany.

IntroductionInvasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a rare condition with a high case fatality rate. While most patients suffer from one single episode in life, there is anecdotal evidence for recurrent infection.AimThe German National Reference Laboratory for Meningococci and (NRZMHi) analysed IMD cases from 2002 to 2018 to retrospectively quantify the risk of recurrent infection. Read More

Adv Pediatr 2020 Aug 14;67:29-46. Epub 2020 May 14.

Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, 3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 6014, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3039, USA. Electronic address:

Emerg Infect Dis 2020 Jul;26(7):1420-1429

To control the rise in Neisseria meningitidis strain W infections, during 2018-2019, the Netherlands launched a catch-up meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccination campaign for teenagers (13-18 years of age). Applying a mental models approach, we surveyed teenagers and their parents about their knowledge and beliefs about meningococcal disease, the MenACWY vaccination, vaccinations in general, and their MenACWY vaccination intentions. Using random forest analysis, we studied predictions of vaccination intentions by knowledge and beliefs. Read More

Curr Drug Targets 2020 Jun 21. Epub 2020 Jun 21.

Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Arvind Gavali College of Pharmacy, Satara Shivaji University, Satara- 415015. India.

Fluoroquinolones are one of the world's most valuable and popularly used categories of antimicrobial agents. This paper attempts to review the substantial progress of fluoroquinolones from its discovery to black box warning. Antibiotic drug choice will remain difficult in the presence of increasing resistance, but introduction of the fluoroquinolones has created a new and exciting era in antimicrobial treatment. Read More

Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2020 Jun 15;44. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for STI and AMR and Neisseria Reference Laboratory, New South Wales Health Pathology, Microbiology.

Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2020 Jun 15;44. Epub 2020 Jun 15.

The World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for STI and AMR and Neisseria Reference Laboratory, New South Wales Health Pathology, Microbiology.

Lancet 2020 06;395(10240):1865-1877

Immunisation and Countermeasures Division, Public Health England, London, UK.

Neisseria meningitidis is an obligate human commensal bacterium that frequently colonises the upper respiratory tract. Person-to-person transmission occurs via direct contact or through dispersion of respiratory droplets from a carrier of the bacteria, and can lead to invasive meningococcal disease. Rare sporadic cases of meningococcal urogenital and anorectal infections, including urethritis, proctitis, and cervicitis, have been reported, typically following orogenital contact with an oropharyngeal meningococcal carrier. Read More

BMJ Case Rep 2020 Jun 11;13(6). Epub 2020 Jun 11.

Microbiology, NHS Forth Valley, Larbert, UK

A man in his 80s presented to the hospital with a 36-hour history of fever, myalgia, bilateral shoulder and right knee pain. Joint fluid aspirates from his shoulders and right knee isolated Gram-negative diplococci. After failing to grow on standard and selective media, was identified by 16s PCR and subsequently typed as serogroup C. Read More

Pan Afr Med J 2020 30;35(Suppl 2):14. Epub 2020 Apr 30.

Department of Health Policy Planning and Management, School of Public Health, University of Health and Allied Sciences, Hohoe, Ghana.

Medicine (Baltimore) 2020 May;99(21):e20362

Department of Internal Medicine, Ewha Womans University School of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Rationale: Late complement deficiency increases susceptibility to meningococcal disease and recurrent infections. In Korea, 5 case reports have described meningococcal disease with complement deficiency. However, C6 deficiency has not been described previously. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 May 20;20(1):358. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Medical Microbiology, School of Biomedical and Laboratory Sciences, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia.

Background: Globally, in 2012, about 1.2 million estimated cases were reported with ~ 135,000 deaths annually. In Ethiopia, specifically in our study area, limited information is found on the oropharyngeal carriage, antimicrobial resistance pattern, and associated risk factors for N. Read More

BMC Infect Dis 2020 May 20;20(1):361. Epub 2020 May 20.

Department of Intensive Care, Erasme Hospital, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 808 Route de Lennik, Brussels, Belgium.

Background: Neisseria meningitidis has rarely been described as an agent of necrotic soft tissue infection.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a septic shock with necrotizing cellulitis due to Neisseria meningitidis serogroup W, treated by urgent extensive surgical debridement followed by skin grafts. The invasive meningococcal disease occurred together with a complement deficiency, possibly acquired after bypass surgery that took place 1 year before. Read More

N Engl J Med 2020 05;382(21):2023-2032

From the Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Melbourne at the Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, and the Department of Microbiology, Royal Melbourne Hospital (D.A.W.), and Melbourne Sexual Health Centre, Alfred Health, and Central Clinical School, Monash University (M.Y.C.) - all in Melbourne, VIC, Australia.

Infect Genet Evol 2020 May 11:104360. Epub 2020 May 11.

Department of Infectious Diseases, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy. Electronic address:

Background: Neisseria meningitidis can cause sporadic cases and outbreaks of invasive disease, including meningitis and sepsis. The meningococcal serogroup C (MenC) is the second most common serogroup in Italy after MenB. In this study we have estimated the reproductive numbers and the demographic reconstruction on the genomes of invasive N. Read More

Eur J Pediatr 2020 Jul 13;179(7):1017-1027. Epub 2020 May 13.

Department of Pediatrics, Venizeleion General Hospital, Crete, Greece.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) remains a major cause of mortality and morbidity in children worldwide. A systemic review in PubMed and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register was performed for articles on risk factors for IMD in children and adolescents published during a 20-year period (19/09/1998 to 19/09/2018). Inclusion and exclusion criteria were established and applied. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020 May 13:1-2. Epub 2020 May 13.

Faculty of Medicine, Department of Pediatric Intensive Care, Eskisehir Osmangazi University, Eskisehir, Turkey.

We present a 9-month old boy with cystinosis admitted to our hospital with the complaints of vomiting, diarrhea and seizure. While he was hospitalized in a pediatric intensive care unit due to worsening of his signs related to cystinosis, within hours, he suffered complications of septic shock, acute renal failure, and disseminated intravascular coagulation, due to invasive serogroup W disease. Our patient is the first reported case of invasive meningococcal disease with cystinosis. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020 Apr 29:1-6. Epub 2020 Apr 29.

Vaccine Evaluation Unit, Public Health England, Manchester, UK.

Globally, there is an increasing number of international migrants. The majority are forced displaced refugees and children unaccompanied by a caregiver, and have limited access to essential public health interventions. Routine vaccination might be interrupted or be incomplete due to conflict areas with limited public health services or a long-unplanned journey. Read More

Euro Surveill 2020 Apr;25(15)

Meningococcal Reference Unit, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Public Health England, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Since 2015 in the United States (US), the US urethritis clade (US_NmUC) has caused a large multistate outbreak of urethritis among heterosexual males. Its 'parent' strain caused numerous outbreaks of invasive meningococcal disease among men who have sex with men in Europe and North America. We highlight the arrival and dissemination of US_NmUC in the United Kingdom and the emergence of multiple antibiotic resistance. Read More

BMC Med 2020 Apr 22;18(1):109. Epub 2020 Apr 22.

Université Paris-Saclay, UVSQ, Univ. Paris-Sud, Inserm, CESP, Anti-infective evasion and pharmacoepidemiology team, F-78180, Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France.

Background: The recent emergence of strains belonging to the meningococcal serogroup W (MenW) sequence type-11 clonal complex and descending from the South American sub-lineage (MenW:cc11/SA) has caused significant shifts in the epidemiology of meningococcal disease worldwide. Although MenW:cc11/SA is deemed highly transmissible and invasive, its epidemiological characteristics have not yet been quantified.

Methods: We designed a mathematical model of MenW transmission, carriage, and infection to analyze the recent epidemiology of invasive disease caused by MenW:cc11/SA strains and by other MenW strains in England and in France. Read More

AMIA Annu Symp Proc 2019 4;2019:647-654. Epub 2020 Mar 4.

Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communication, National Library of Medicine, NIH Bethesda, MD.

Sharing of individual participant data is encouraged by the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors. We analyzed clinical trial registry data from ClinicalTrials.gov (CTG) and determined the proportion of trials sharing de-identified Individual Participant Data (IPD). Read More

Interdiscip Top Gerontol Geriatr 2020 9;43:158-181. Epub 2020 Apr 9.

Institute for Medical Microbiology and Hygiene, University of Regensburg, Regensburg, Germany,

People who travel to countries where they are at risk of contracting specific infections often need specific vaccines. To make correct recommendations in this respect several points have to be considered. The state of health of the traveler should be known as well as his or her destination and travel style. Read More

BMC Microbiol 2020 Apr 15;20(1):92. Epub 2020 Apr 15.

Institut Pasteur, Invasive Infections Unit, Paris, France.

Background: Neisseria meningitidis serogroups W and Y are the most common serogroups causing invasive meningococcal disease in Sweden. The majority of cases are caused by the serogroup W UK 2013 strain of clonal complex (cc) 11, and subtype 1 of the serogroup Y, YI strain of cc23. In this study, virulence factors of several lineages within cc11 and cc23 were investigated in transgenic BALB/c mice expressing human transferrin. Read More

mSphere 2020 03 25;5(2). Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Department of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Hacettepe University Faculty of Medicine, Ankara, Turkey.

The etiology of bacterial meningitis in Turkey changed after the implementation of conjugated vaccines against and type b (Hib) in the Turkish National Immunization Program (NIP). Administration of Hib vaccine and PCV-7 (7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine) was implemented in NIP in 2006 and 2009, respectively. In 2011, PCV-7 was replaced with PCV-13. Read More

Hum Vaccin Immunother 2020 Mar 25:1-6. Epub 2020 Mar 25.

Infectious Diseases Department, Rouen University Hospital, Rouen, France.

In France, the incidence of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is around 1/100,000, with the following trends over the 2011-2018 period: a leading role of group B in subjects <15 years, a decrease of group C among <1 year since 2017, an increase of group W in all age groups including subjects <1 year since 2014 and a positive correlation between group Y and age group.In Europe, vaccination progressed with conjugate ACWY vaccines and proteins-based B vaccines. Their benefit-risk-cost balance is however not so obvious for area at low incidence (<2/100,000), explaining tremendous variations between countries, from no recommendation to recommend all available vaccines. Read More

Clin Dermatol 2020 Jan - Feb;38(1):35-41. Epub 2019 Oct 25.

Sector of Dermatology and Post-Graduation Course in Dermatology, University Hospital and School of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Electronic address:

A rash is a disseminated eruption of cutaneous lesions with great variation in appearance, cause, and severity. When the physician is facing a rash, the history and physical examination of the patient are extremely important for the identification of the disease and its causal agent. There are various causes for a rash, which may be infectious, allergic, or rheumatologic, besides many others. Read More

Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2020 Mar 16;44. Epub 2020 Mar 16.

The National Neisseria Network, Australia; Neisseria Reference Laboratory and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for STD, Sydney; New South Wales Health Pathology, Microbiology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW Australia.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a notifiable disease in Australia, and both probable and laboratory-confirmed cases of IMD are reported to the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS). In 2018, there were 281 IMD cases notified to the NNDSS. Of these, 278 were laboratory-confirmed cases analysed by the reference laboratories of the Australian National Neisseria Network (NNN). Read More

Crit Care Clin 2020 Apr 30;36(2):391-399. Epub 2020 Jan 30.

Department of Public Health, Erasmus MC, University Medical Center Rotterdam, Doctor Molewaterplein 40, 3015 GD Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Electronic address:

Meningococcemia is notorious for evasion of the host immune system and its rapid progression to fulminant disease, and serves as a unique model for pediatric sepsis. Illness severity is determined by complex interplays among host, pathogen, and environment. The inflammatory host response, including proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory responses in innate and adaptive immunity, skews toward a proinflammatory state. Read More

Biosci Rep 2020 Mar;40(3)

Department of Nephrology, University Hospital Essen, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.

Background: The C5 complement inhibitor eculizumab is first-line treatment in atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) going along with a highly increased risk of meningococcal infections. Serogroup B meningococci (MenB) are the most frequently encountered cause for meningococcal infections in Europe. Efficacy of the protein-based MenB-vaccine Bexsero in aHUS has not been determined and testing is only possible in patients off-treatment with eculizumab as a human complement source is required. Read More

West Afr J Med 2020 Apr-Jun;37(2):189-196

Department of Paediatrics Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, Kaduna State,Nigeria.

Extremity gangrene is a fairly common pathology, which complicates systemic vascular and endocrine diseases. Most often, it is encountered in diseases like uncontrolled Diabetes Mellitus, presenting as diabetic foot gangrene, severe peripheral arteriosclerosis with gangrene of the extremity complicating severe uncontrolled systemic hypertension and meningococcal septicaemia with peripheral gangrene. It also occurs in some cases of snake bite as well as frost bite (in regions with extreme cold weather conditions). Read More

Postgrad Med 2020 Mar 3;132(2):184-191. Epub 2020 Mar 3.

Vaccine Medical Development, Scientific & Clinical Affairs, Pfizer Inc, Collegeville, PA, USA.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a potentially devastating infection associated with high mortality and long-term sequelae; however, vaccines are available to protect against the five common disease-causing serogroups (A, B, C, W, and Y). Because traditional field efficacy clinical trials were not feasible due to low IMD incidence that necessitates a very large number of participants, serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) assays using rabbit (rSBA) or human (hSBA) complement were established as surrogates of meningococcal vaccine efficacy and are now routinely used to support vaccine licensure. Specifically, rSBA assays have been used to evaluate responses to meningococcal capsular polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccines against serogroups A, C, W, and Y; the accepted correlate of protection for rSBA assays is a titer ≥1:8. Read More

Neurol Neurochir Pol 2020 ;54(1):6-7

Department of Neurology, Department of Critical Care Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, USA.

Introduction: In this edition, Szymanski et al. present the results of their retrospective study of the clinical differences between patients with meningococcal meningitis and pneumococcal cerebrospinal meningitis at the Regional Specialistic Hospital in Wroclaw, Poland.

Clinical Reflections: The authors found that compared to patients with N. Read More

Commun Dis Intell (2018) 2020 Feb 17;44. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

The National Neisseria Network, Australia; Neisseria Reference Laboratory and World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for STD, Sydney; New South Wales Health Pathology, Microbiology, The Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick, NSW Australia.

J Med Microbiol 2020 Mar;69(3):465-477

Department of Microbiology, Pasteur Institute of Iran, Tehran, Iran.

is a significant bacterial pathogen in humans. Currently, there are two types of pneumococcal vaccines, but there are concerns regarding their application. Since many pneumococcal proteins are serotype-independent, polyhistidine triad protein D (PhtD) has been selected as a vaccine candidate. Read More

Microb Drug Resist 2020 Feb 24. Epub 2020 Feb 24.

National Reference Laboratory for Antibiotics, Centre for Epidemiology and Microbiology, National Institute of Public Health, Prague, Czech Republic.

The aim of this study was to detect and characterize isolates of methicillin-/oxacillin-resistant (MRSA) carrying gene (MRSA/) and occurring in the Czech Republic within the period from 2002 to 2017. Altogether, 18 from 3,472 isolates of MRSA were positive (0.52%). Read More

BMC Public Health 2020 Feb 19;20(1):254. Epub 2020 Feb 19.

UNICEF, New York, NY, 10017, USA.

Background: Meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccine (MACV) was introduced in 2017 into the routine childhood immunization schedule (at 15-18 months of age) in Burkina Faso to help reduce meningococcal meningitis burden. MACV was scheduled to be co-administered with the second dose of measles-containing vaccine (MCV2), a vaccine already in the national schedule. One year following the introduction of MACV, an assessment was conducted to qualitatively examine health workers' perceptions of MACV introduction, identify barriers to uptake, and explore opportunities to improve coverage. Read More

Hum Genet 2020 Jun 17;139(6-7):961-980. Epub 2020 Feb 17.

Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, Norfolk Place, London, W2 1PG, UK.

Neisseria meningitidis is a leading cause of bacterial septicaemia and meningitis worldwide. Meningococcal disease is rare but can be life threatening with a tendency to affect children. Many studies have investigated the role of human genetics in predisposition to N. Read More

FEBS Lett 2020 Feb 14. Epub 2020 Feb 14.

Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA, USA.

Neisseria gonorrhoeae causes the sexually transmitted infection gonorrhea, while Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of bacterial meningitis and sepsis. Complement is a central arm of innate immune defenses and plays an important role in combating Neisserial infections. Persons with congenital and acquired defects in complement are at a significantly higher risk for invasive Neisserial infections such as invasive meningococcal disease and disseminated gonococcal infection compared to the general population. Read More

PLoS One 2020 13;15(2):e0228629. Epub 2020 Feb 13.

Irish Meningitis and Sepsis Reference Laboratory, Children's Health Ireland, Dublin, Ireland.

This study examined the capsular phenotype and genotype of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD)-associated Neisseria meningitidis recovered in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) between 1996 and 2015. This time period encompasses both pre- (when IMD was hyperendemic in the RoI) and post- meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MCC) vaccine introduction. In total, 1327 isolates representing over one-third of all laboratory-confirmed cases of IMD diagnosed each epidemiological year (EY), were characterised. Read More

Mikrobiyol Bul 2020 Jan;54(1):163-170

Ministry of Health, General Directorate of Public Health, National Respiratory Pathogens Reference Laboratory, Ankara, Turkey.

Meningococcal infections are important health problems causing high morbidity and mortality. Neisseria meningitidis have 13 serogroups. A, B, C, Y and W135 are the most common causes of invasive disease among those serogroups. Read More

J Chemother 2020 Jul 7;32(4):213-216. Epub 2020 Feb 7.

Department of Medical Microbiology, Istanbul University Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul, Turkey.

() is regarded as the leading cause of bacterial meningitis in many regions of the world. The empiric antimicrobial treatment is mainly based on antimicrobial resistance and patient characteristics. We aimed to analyze susceptibility patterns of N. Read More

PLoS One 2020 28;15(1):e0228020. Epub 2020 Jan 28.

Institute for Applied Health Research Berlin, Berlin, Germany.

Background: Limited data is available to describe clinical characteristics, long-term outcomes, healthcare resource use and the attributable costs of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Germany. We aimed to examine demographic and clinical characteristics as well as healthcare resource use and related costs.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study based on the InGef database in patients with IMD between 2009 and 2015. Read More

Vaccine 2020 02 21;38(8):1943-1952. Epub 2020 Jan 21.

National Reference Centre for Bacterial Meningitis, National Medicines Institute, Warsaw, Poland.

Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B (MenB) has recently become the major cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Poland. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to characterize MenB isolates, responsible for invasive meningococcal disease in 2010-2016, by MLST and sequencing of genes encoding proteins used as 4CMenB vaccine antigens. Two methods of coverage estimation were performed: extrapolation of MATS results of Polish meningococci 2010-2011 (exMATS) and gMATS, which combines genotyping and MATS results. Read More

N Engl J Med 2020 01;382(4):379-382

N Engl J Med 2020 01;382(4):376-378

From the Infectious Diseases Epidemiology Research Unit, School of Medicine and Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh (L.H.H.); and the Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, and Woodruff Health Sciences Center, Emory University, Atlanta (D.S.S.).

N Engl J Med 2020 01;382(4):318-327

From the Vaccinology and Immunology Research Trials Unit, Women's and Children's Health Network (H.S.M.), the Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School (H.S.M., M.M.), and the School of Public Health (T.R.S.), University of Adelaide, the Communicable Disease Control Branch, SA Health (A.P.K.), and SA Pathology (A.L.), Adelaide, and the Marshall Centre for Infectious Disease Research and Training, School of Biomedical Science (C.M.K.), and the School of Medicine (P.R.), University of Western Australia, the Departments of General Paediatrics and Immunology, Perth Children's Hospital (P.R.), and Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases, Telethon Kid's Institute (P.R.), Perth - all in Australia; the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford (J.M.M., M.C.J.M.), the Immunization Department, Public Health England, London (S.N.L., M.E.R., C.T.), the Departments of Pathology and Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Cambridge (C.T.), the Meningococcal Reference Unit, Public Health England, Manchester (R.B.), and Bristol Children's Vaccine Centre, Schools of Cellular and Molecular Medicine and of Population Health Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol (A.F.) - all in the United Kingdom; GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Amsterdam (J.W.); and GlaxoSmithKline Vaccines, Rockville, MD (K.V.).

Background: The meningococcal group B vaccine 4CMenB is a new, recombinant protein-based vaccine that is licensed to protect against invasive group B meningococcal disease. However, its role in preventing transmission and, therefore, inducing population (herd) protection is uncertain.

Methods: We used cluster randomization to assign, according to school, students in years 10 to 12 (age, 15 to 18 years) in South Australia to receive 4CMenB vaccination either at baseline (intervention) or at 12 months (control). Read More