Current global trends in meningococcal disease control, risk groups and vaccination: Consensus of the Global Meningococcal Initiative
Ray Borrow, Dominique A. Caugant, S. A. Clark, Ener Çağrı Dinleyici, Ian Hall, Lee H. Harrison, William P. Hausdorff, Shamez Ladhani, Jay Lucidarme, Marco Aurélio Palazzi Sáfadi, Vinny Smith, Muhamed‐Kheir Taha, Julio A. Vázquez
Abstract
This review outlines recent trends on invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) discussed at the latest meeting of the Global Meningococcal Initiative (GMI). There has been a re-emergence of the Hajj strain sublineage (serogroup W; ST-11 clonal complex), with travel to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia being a critical factor in transmission. The epidemiology of IMD has also changed following the COVID-19 pandemic, with annual IMD cases increasing in many countries. For example, the highest number of IMD cases since 2014 was reported in the USA in 2023-2024. Atypical presentations of IMD have been prominent irrespective of the pandemic. For instance, an increase in cases of meningococcal epiglottitis has been reported in France in 2022-2023 (serogroups W and Y). When considering vaccination, the GMI has identified a need for broader meningococcal serogroup B (MenB) immunisation owing to the potential impact of the vaccines on reducing IMD incidence caused by other serogroups than MenB. There is also a case for using MenB vaccination to protect against Neisseria gonorrhoeae infection based on initial evidence, albeit further studies will need to be conducted.