Thomas Mark
Department of Molecular Medicine and Pathology, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
N Z Med J. 2004 Aug 20;117(1200):U1016.
New Zealand has embarked on an immunisation program to reduce the incidence of disease caused by serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis. Similar immunisation programs in Norway and South America have shown good efficacy in older vaccinees (ie, persons receiving vaccinations), but variable efficacy in younger vaccinees. Protective efficacy correlates well with the ability of the vaccine to stimulate a fourfold rise in serum bactericidal antibodies. Unfortunately, second and third doses of serogroup B N. meningitidis vaccines do not boost serum bactericidal antibody titres to very high levels; consequently protective efficacy wanes within a few years of immunisation. The overall outcome of the immunisation program will reflect both the immunogenicity of the vaccine and the uptake of the vaccine by the target population. The especially high incidence of meningococcal disease in Pacific and Maori children means that particular efforts will need to be made to reach these groups.
新西兰已启动一项免疫计划，以降低B群脑膜炎奈瑟菌引起的疾病发病率。挪威和南美洲实施的类似免疫计划在年龄较大的接种者（即接受疫苗接种的人）中显示出良好的效果，但在较年轻的接种者中效果不一。保护效力与疫苗刺激血清杀菌抗体四倍增长的能力密切相关。不幸的是，B群脑膜炎奈瑟菌疫苗的第二剂和第三剂并不能将血清杀菌抗体滴度提高到非常高的水平；因此，免疫后的几年内保护效力就会减弱。免疫计划的总体结果将反映疫苗的免疫原性以及目标人群对疫苗的接受程度。太平洋岛民和毛利儿童中脑膜炎球菌病的发病率特别高，这意味着需要做出特别努力来覆盖这些群体。
