After the introduction of the conjugate vaccine against meningococcus C, serogroup B became the main agent of meningococcal disease in Europe. A new approach called "reverse vaccinology" was applied to identify new antigenic proteins able to induce the production of bactericidal antibodies. The final formulation of the vaccine against serogroup B contains three antigens and the outer membrane vesicles derived from MenZB vaccine used in New Zealand. The vaccine has proved to be highly immunogenic against a wide range of meningococcus B strains in all age groups.
Cristiana Carlino, Laura Zaratti, and Elisabetta Franco.
Scuola di Specializzazione in Igiene e Medicina Preventiva, Università di Roma Tor Vergata.
Ig Sanita Pubbl. 2013 May 1; 69 (3): 363-75.
AbstractAfter the introduction of the conjugate vaccine against meningococcus C, serogroup B became the main agent of meningococcal disease in Europe. A new approach called "reverse vaccinology" was applied to identify new antigenic proteins able to induce the production of bactericidal antibodies. The final formulation of the vaccine against serogroup B contains three antigens and the outer membrane vesicles derived from MenZB vaccine used in New Zealand. The vaccine has proved to be highly immunogenic against a wide range of meningococcus B strains in all age groups.