[Meningococcal disease and VA-MENGOC BC in minors less than 1 year of age. Cuba, 1983 to 1991].

A study of the chronological series of mortality due to meningococcal disease in children under one year old, the group of highest incidence during the last epidemy in Cuba, was carried out. Data were collected by doing a survey in an uniform way since 1983 throughout the country. More than 90% of the population between 3 months and 5 years old were vaccinated with VAMENGOC BC since the end of 1988 until April, 1990. The behaviour of this disease was studied in order to identify the influence of this vaccine. It is stressed that the mortality incidence reached its epidemic achme in 1986 and begins a slow descence which is accentuated in 1990 and 1991, with an annual relative decrease of 26.1 and 34.9%, respectively. The highest mortality rate was found in 1984, with a significant reduction in 1990 (-23.8%) and 1991 (-41.8%), after the culmination of the vaccination campaign with VA-MENGOC BC. It was detected that morbimortality, which is lower in children under one month because of the probable protection provided by maternal antibodies, started to increase until the fifth month of life, when it is observed a trend towards the reduction of morbidity and mortality. According to the present immunization chronogram, overall protection in only attained after the sixth mont of life.