Meningococcal Disease News and Research

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MA launches national campaign to raise awareness on meningitis

This Father's Day is a special day for Angels Dads on Meningitis (ADOM). Angel dads from across the country came together in Denver, Colorado to launch a national campaign on meningitis awareness.

20 Jun 2011

Novartis Bexsero pivotal study data on meningococcal serogroup B presented at ESPID

New data from a pivotal study in more than 1,800 infants show that Novartis candidate vaccine Bexsero induces a robust immune response to meningococcal serogroup B when given alone or when co-administered with other routine vaccines.

15 Jun 2011

NBA Cares, SAHM and Tulsa Shock guard partner for teen vaccine awareness campaign

Tulsa Shock guard Andrea Riley and Basketball Hall of Famer Bob Lanier teamed up with NBA Cares and the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine today to bring Vaccines for Teens to the Tulsa community.

5 May 2011

Canadians join hands in fight against meningitis on April 24th

Canadians can join hands in a virtual community with the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada and become a member of the global family by visiting www.comoonline.org and "joining hands" in the fight against meningitis, and to show support for meningitis awareness and prevention.

25 Apr 2011

FDA approves Sanofi Pasteur's meningococcal vaccine

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted licensure to expand the indication for its meningococcal conjugate vaccine, Menactra, to include a two-dose schedule for infants and children 9 months through 23 months of age.

25 Apr 2011

Sanofi Pasteur receives FDA approval for Menactra to prevent meningococcal disease

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved the use of Menactra in children as young as 9 months for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y and W-135. Menactra already is approved for use in people ages 2 through 55 years.

24 Apr 2011

CTIS Pregnancy Health Information Line aims to educate women about meningitis

The California Teratogen Information Service Pregnancy Health Information Line, a state-wide non-profit organization based at the University of California, San Diego with affiliates across North America, will join in the effort to raise awareness of meningitis prevention by helping to launch a new study that will assess safety of the meningitis vaccine in pregnancy.

22 Apr 2011

Doctors demonstrate the true impact of vaccination

With Children Back in School, Doctors Clear up Confusion and Demonstrate the True Impact of Vaccination

16 Sep 2010

FDA accepts Sanofi Pasteur's Menactra vaccine sBLA for active immunization of infants and toddlers

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of the sanofi-aventis Group, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has accepted for review a supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for use of Menactra® (Meningococcal [Groups A, C, Y and W-135] Polysaccharide Diphtheria Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine) for active immunization of infants and toddlers for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135.

26 Aug 2010

NASN encourages parents to vaccinate their children against meningococcal disease

More than half of adolescents 13 to 17 years of age have not been vaccinated against meningococcal disease, a rare but serious disease that can cause meningitis and take the life of a child in just a single day. In a recent Ipsos national survey, the majority of mothers with children in this age group had not vaccinated their children because they were not fully aware of the need for vaccination.

18 Aug 2010

Scientists develop rapid diagnostic test for detecting meningococcal bacteria

Researchers at Queen's University Belfast and the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust have developed a groundbreaking test for meningitis which could help save lives.A rapid diagnostic test for meningococcal bacteria that can produce results within an hour has been developed by scientists from Queen's Centre for Infection and Immunity and the Trust. The speed of this new test is a vital factor in the treatment of young children with meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia who become very ill over a short period.

18 Aug 2010

Genetic factors lead to meningitis development: Study

Genetic differences that make some people susceptible to developing meningococcal meningitis and septicaemia, and others naturally immune, are revealed in a new study of over 6,000 people, published today in Nature Genetics.The research, led by Imperial College London and the Genome Institute of Singapore, is the largest ever genetic study of meningitis and septicaemia caused by meningococcal bacteria. It suggests that people who develop these diseases have innate differences in their natural defences that leave them unable to attack meningococcal bacteria successfully.

9 Aug 2010

Meningococcal disease in infants: A potentially difficult and serious diagnosis

An article published in the May 2010 edition of Postgraduate Medicine documents a case study where a previously healthy, 15-week-old male infant was misdiagnosed and died of meningococcal disease. Initially the patient showed signs of the common cold and was treated as such, but symptoms worsened and he was admitted to the hospital emergency department.

16 Jun 2010

Health Canada approves Novartis' Menveo for prevention of meningococcal disease

Novartis Pharmaceutical Canada Inc. announced that Menveo (Meningococcal (Groups A, C, Y and W-135) Oligosaccharide CRM197 Conjugate Vaccine), a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine was approved by Health Canada for active immunization of adolescents (11 to 18 years of age) and adults (19 to 55 years of age) to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y and W-135.

8 Jun 2010

Canadians join hands in virtual community to raise awareness of meningitis and septicaemia

Canadians can join hands in a virtual community with the Meningitis Research Foundation of Canada and others around the globe to raise awareness of meningitis and septicaemia by visiting the Confederation of Meningitis Organizations web site - http://www.comoonline.org/JoiningHands.aspx.

24 Apr 2010

Tapeworm infections of brain increasing in Mexico and bordering southwestern states

Tapeworm infections of the brain, which can cause epileptic seizures, appear to be increasing in Mexico and bordering southwestern states, Loyola University Health System researchers report.

15 Apr 2010

Columbia University, FairChoice Systems sign agreement to market student health information system

Columbia University and FairChoice Systems, Inc. have signed a multi-year commercialization agreement that will bring to market a cost-effective, online student health information system developed and implemented by Columbia University's own Student Health Services.

2 Mar 2010

sanofi-aventis reports 2009 fourth-quarter and full-year net earnings

Commenting on the Group's 2009 performance, sanofi-aventis Chief Executive Officer Christopher A. Viehbacher said, "2009 was the first year of implementation of our new strategy. Major steps have already been achieved in strengthening our growth platforms and reinforcing our R&D pipeline while delivering a double-digit EPS(1) growth".

10 Feb 2010

Hockey player teams with Ottawa medical expert to raise awareness about meningococcal meningitis

When hockey fans converge at this Sunday's Ottawa 67's game, Garry Galley, former NHL defenseman and current analyst of Hockey Night in Canada, will team up with Dr. Gary Garber to share defense tips about the four vaccine-preventable strains of meningococcal meningitis with hockey enthusiasts at the Take a Shot for Meningitis Awareness booth. The pair will educate hockey enthusiasts and their families about meningococcal meningitis prevention and protection.

5 Feb 2010

FDA and PATH collaborate to advance pneumococcal vaccine development for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a collaboration with PATH to advance development of a vaccine to protect children against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), especially pneumonia.

2 Feb 2010