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. 2022 Nov 30;18(6):2110759.
doi: 10.1080/21645515.2022.2110759. Epub 2022 Sep 9.

Invasive meningococcal disease in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam: An Asia-Pacific expert group perspective on current epidemiology and vaccination policies

Usa Thisyakorn  1 , Josefina Carlos  2 , Tawee Chotpitayasunondh  3 , Tran M Dien  4 , Maria Liza A M Gonzales  5 , Nguyen T L Huong  6 , Zulkifli Ismail  7 , Musa M Nordin  8 , Anna Lisa T Ong-Lim  5 , Terapong Tantawichien  9 , Sangita D Terumalay  10 , Thiem D Vu  11 , Otavio Cintra  12 , Olakunle Oladehin  13
Affiliations

Invasive meningococcal disease in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam: An Asia-Pacific expert group perspective on current epidemiology and vaccination policies

Usa Thisyakorn et al. Hum Vaccin Immunother. .

Abstract

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) imposes a significant burden on the global community due to its high case fatality rate (4-20%) and the risk of long-term sequelae for one in five survivors. An expert group meeting was held to discuss the epidemiology of IMD and immunization policies in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam. Most of these countries do not include meningococcal immunization in their routine vaccination programs, except for high-risk groups such as immunocompromised people and pilgrims. It is difficult to estimate the epidemiology of IMD in the highly diverse Asia-Pacific region, but available evidence indicate serogroup B is increasingly dominant. Disease surveillance systems differ by country. IMD is not a notifiable disease in some of them. Without an adequate surveillance system in the region, the risk and the burden of IMD might well be underestimated. With the availability of new combined meningococcal vaccines and the World Health Organization roadmap to defeat bacterial meningitis by 2030, a better understanding of the epidemiology of IMD in the Asia-Pacific region is needed.

Keywords: Malaysia; Philippines; Thailand; Vietnam; meningococcal disease; meningococcal vaccines.

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Conflict of interest statement

OC and OO are employed by and hold shares in GSK. JC reports involvement as a member of the board of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination Inc., and received educational grants from Sanofi Pasteur for participation in meetings as a speaker. MLAMG and TDV received honoraria for the advisory board from GSK for attending the IMD SEA Expert Group meeting. MLAMG is President of the Philippine Foundation for Vaccination. OC, OO, JC, MLAMG and TDV declare no other financial and non-financial relationships and activities. UT, TC, TMD, NTLH, ZI, MMN, ALTOL, TT, and SDT declare no financial and non-financial relationships and activities and no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Graphical abstract.
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