Meningococcal Disease News and Research

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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

UAB issues updated guidelines for childhood and teen immunization schedule

The co-director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases is a member of the committee that this week issued updated guidelines for childhood and teen immunizations to include formal recommendations that children older than 6 months get the H1N1 influenza vaccine to guard against swine flu, and that combination vaccines are generally preferred over separate injections.

7 Jan 2010

NMA urges parents to protect their children from meningococcal disease

This winter, while many parents are focused on influenza prevention, the National Meningitis Association (NMA) is urging parents to also protect their families from meningococcal disease, a deadly but potentially vaccine preventable bacterial infection.

22 Dec 2009

Alexion Pharmaceuticals announces positive data from AEGIS study of Soliris

Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced positive data from the 26-week extension of the AEGIS study, an open-label registration study examining Soliris® (eculizumab) for the treatment of Japanese patients with paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH).

7 Dec 2009

Sanofi Pasteur presents Menactra vaccine safety data at the IDSA

Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines division of sanofi-aventis Group, presented Safety of a Quadrivalent (A,C,Y,W-135) Meningococcal Vaccine When Given to Infants with Other Pediatric Vaccines at the 47th Annual Meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society of America (IDSA) this past weekend.

2 Nov 2009

Vaccination rates need improvement; racial and ethnic disparities in vaccination coverage

More teenagers are being vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), meningococcal meningitis and pertussis (whooping cough), though the rates are still too low, according to recently released government data and a panel of experts convened by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

27 Oct 2009