According to the BBC a new vaccine against the four major strains of meningitis has been developed by pharma multi Novartis. Menveo, a conjugate vaccine which can bring about herd immunity, is currently only available in Europe. The vaccine is likely to be used as a travel vaccine to protect people from contracting meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa.
In sub-Saharan Africa, large epidemics of meningococcal meningitis occur in the dry season, leading to it being labeled the "meningitis belt". The belt stretches from Senegal in the west to Ethiopia in the east, has the highest rates of the diseases, but epidemics are occurring in countries like Tanzania, Kenya, Namibia and South Africa too.
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