In the phase II trials, the babies were injected with the new vaccine at two, four and six months of age, with a booster at 12 months. Blood samples taken a month after the third dose and again a month after the booster showed the children had developed good immune responses against certain strains of meningitis B bacteria.
Meningitis B is one of the most feared childhood diseases. The tell-tale sign of meningitis B is a rash that does not disappear when the skin is pressed down with a glass. Within 24 hours a child can become severely ill and without the right antibiotics might die. So far there is no vaccination for meningitis B, a bacterial strain.
Children are now routinely immunised against meningitis C, which used to be the most lethal form of the disease, and the Hib and pneumococcal vaccines prevent other strains.
Dr. Ray Borrow, head of the vaccine evaluation department at Manchester Royal Infirmary, who helped organise the study, which took place in the Britain told The Guardian, "The prospect of one vaccine that protects infants worldwide against meningococcal serogroup B would be a key achievement in global disease prevention of our time."
Researchers are now hoping to begin with phase III trial that will involve immunising thousands of babies to see the results to know whether the vaccine protects against more strains of meningitis B than those specifically included.
Meningitis is an inflammation of the lining of the brain and spinal cord and can be a very serious illness. The disease is often associated with septicaemia, otherwise known as blood poisoning, which can also be extremely serious. Although most people recover from the disease, some are left deaf or blind, and in others it may prove fatal.
One of the biggest problems with meningitis is that it can develop very quickly. A child (or adult) can seem perfectly well and then, just a few hours later, be extremely ill with the disease. Another problem is that the symptoms can be difficult to distinguish from other, less serious infections.
Recent research has found that key early warning signs of meningitis in children under 17 years old often include cold hands and feet, abnormal skin colour, and leg pains. These symptoms are early signs of septicaemia and can often occur hours before other classic symptoms such as a rash and dislike of bright light.
There are more than 1,000 cases of group B invasive meningococcal infections each year in the UK, usually in babies and young people.
