New England Journal of Medicine
Volume 362 — April 22, 2010 — Number 16
http://content.nejm.org/current.shtml

Review Article
Current Concepts: Advances in the Development of Vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis
L. K. K. Tan, G. M. Carlone, and R. Borrow

Extract: First 100 words per NEJM convention
Although two centuries have passed since Vieusseux described epidemic meningococcal disease,1 Neisseria meningitidis remains a leading cause of meningitis and sepsis. Overwhelming meningococcal disease can develop rapidly and is associated with mortality rates exceeding 20%.2 Thus, efforts to control the disease have focused on vaccination. In the past, vaccines against meningococcal disease have failed to provide immunogenicity and long-term protection in infants, who are at greatest risk. Although recent vaccines have improved coverage for this age group, there is still no broadly effective vaccine against N. meningitidis group B (NMB), now the predominant disease-causing isolate in industrialized countries.