About 10% of people carry meningococcal bacteria in their throats and noses without any ill effects.
Scientists have successfully developed a vaccine for the meningitis C strain and children up to 6 years old and young people between the ages of 15 and 17 are now given priority in the vaccination programme.
At the moment there is no effective vaccine against the most common and deadly strain of meningitis, meningitis B. Last year in the UK there were some 1500 cases of meningitis B and about 150 people died.
The prospect of an effective vaccine against the B strain bacterium has been made possible by advances in our ability to decode genetic information i.e. the sequence of bases in a molecule of DNA. Scientists in the UK, USA and Italy have successfully mapped out the complete gene code for this bacterium and have identified several previously unknown proteins coded for by the bacterium's DNA. These proteins appear on the surface of the bacterium and are potential targets for antibodies produced by the body to identify and destroy the bacterium.
Tests in mice have already shown that use of a vaccine derived from gene sequencing techniques causes the mice to develop antibodies which are effective in finding and killing the bacteria.
Much research still needs to be done before a vaccine becomes available for human use but scientists are very optimistic that they can develop a vaccine to combat this tragic and frightening disease.
