While meningitis A had almost disappeared in Africa, the disruption of vaccination campaigns in 2020 and 2021 worries the WHO about the possible resurgence of this infection on the continent.
- In Africa, activities related to the fight against meningitis A were halved in 2020 compared to the previous year.
- In 2021, there was an improvement, but it is considered too weak by the WHO.
50 millions. This is the number of children who could not be vaccinated against meningitis A in Africa because of Covid-19. The reason: the vaccination campaigns of the years 2020 and 2021 were completely disrupted by the coronavirus epidemic, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, before that, this disease had almost disappeared from the continent.
Overcoming group A meningitis is one of the greatest medical victories in Africa, explains Dr. Matshidiso MoetiWHO Regional Director for Africa. No cases have been detected on the continent in the past five years. But while the Covid-19 pandemic has delayed the vaccination of more than 50 million children, there is a great risk that these advances will be lost.”.
Meningitis A more prevalent in Africa
The world health authority therefore calls on the States concerned to resume their vaccination campaigns and other preventive measures against meningitis A, such as screening or monitoring of infectious outbreaks.
As a reminder, meningitis is an inflammation of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Historically, meningitis A was the strongest epidemic of meningitis in Africa. Indeed, it accounted for 90% of cases and deaths before 2010. But, since 2017, no new cases have been reported on the continent.
The presence of meningitis in France
In France, for a little over a year, there has been an increase in cases of another type of meningitis, that due to the bacterium called “group B meningococcus”. “Meningococcal form B is not known to be responsible for an epidemic, like A or C, explains Jean-Paul Stahlprofessor of infectiology in Grenoble. But she kills! It causes about 15% of deaths, sometimes within hours. You have to take it very seriously”.
Thus, this year, 16-24 year olds and children aged 0 to 2 years from 205 municipalities in Savoie, Isère, Ain and Rhône, i.e. areas where the number of meningococcal B infections is in sharp increase, were advised to be vaccinated against meningitis.
500 cases each year
In France, the most frequent types of meningococci are group B, C, W and Y meningococci according to the Ministry of Health. Public Health France estimates that there are 500 cases of invasive meningococcal disease per year, including 50 to 60 deaths. The most affected are infants, young children and young adults under the age of 24.
Thus, the meningococcal C vaccine is now compulsory for all infants born since January 1, 2018, with a first injection at the age of 5 months and a second dose at the age of 12 months. In addition, since April 2022, it is also recommended to vaccinate all infants between 2 months and 2 years against invasive meningococcal B infections.