Meningococcal meningitis B “is a very serious disease. When one has seen it once, one does not want to see it again. Affected children and adolescents have a very high mortality, ranging from 10 to 20-30%, a depending on the severity. Many remain with permanent sequelae and we have examples of people who have had their arms, legs amputated. Bebe Vio”, the well-known Italian Paralympic athlete, “is a living example of this and unfortunately she is not the only one. a vaccine that prevents this type of disease and that prevents it in all newborns in Italy, in England and in many countries around the world, was an important milestone”. 10 years after the go-ahead from the Ema drug agency (January 2013), “my wish is that this vaccine that is protecting so many children can be recommended in all countries of the planet, so that this disease can disappear”. Word of Rino Rappuoli, scientific director of the Siena Biotechnopole Foundation, father of ‘reverse vacciniology’, an approach that made it possible to arrive at the development of the vaccine.
Is the dream of eradicating the disease an attainable goal? “To date, at least 70 million doses have been used in the world – Rappuoli tells Adnkronos Salute – Considering a cycle of 3 doses, this means approximately over 25 million protected children”. The vaccine, after years of failed attempts and a long development process, “at this point there is – concludes the Italian scientist – Just vaccinate”.
