Natalia
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 Posted: 01/09/08 - 04:50 Post subject: Researchers Developed Vaccine Against Meningitis |
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Meningococcal disease is greatest cause of meningitis and researchers are on their way of finding vaccine that can protect newborns form this disease. It was established that babies under 1 year are particularly at risk of developing meningococcal disease and they are not protected by vaccine that already exists. This type of meningitis is rare but it’s quite fatal since about 10% of patients die and 20% develop serious long-term problems such as brain damage, hearing loss and amputation in some cases. It spreads very fast and it can kill a healthy young person within couple of hours.
This is the reason why doctors are trying so hard to find vaccine that could help prevent this serious disease. Recent experimental trials found that shot from Novartis called Menveo could be able to prevent this condition. It has ability to target four out of five meningococcal bacteria strains and it was discovered that babies need several doses of this shot for long-term immunity. Trials have found that the vaccine had about 95% efficiency when it was given in four doses, one at 2 months,3 months, 4 months and at one year.
If this vaccine is approved it can prevent almost half of all cases of meningococcal meningitis in children under 2 years. This study clearly needs more research but doctors say that it will surely give good results and help in eliminating meningitis in young children. |
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