Exploitation of Neisseria meningitidis Group B OMV Vaccines Against N. gonorrhoeae to Inform the Development and Deployment of Effective Gonorrhea Vaccines

In this study it was assumed that there was no immunity following resolution of natural infection. The modeling demonstrated that a vaccine of moderate efficacy could have a significant impact on the prevalence of gonorrhea if strategically implemented (23). While encouraging it does, of course, depend on the availability of a vaccine. From Ecological Data to Evidence The epidemiological evidence from Cuba, Brazil, and New Zealand demonstrates that N. meningitidis OMV vaccines are possibly able to provide some broader protection against meningococcal disease (17, 24), particularly in older children and adults (25). These observations led to the hypothesis that they may affect a more distantly related bacterium. Examination of surveillance data clearly show a marked decline in the incidence of gonorrhea in Cuba following implementation of the VA-MENGOCBC (Figure 1). The pattern of decline in incidence for gonorrhea contrasts with syphilis and genital warts for which incidences have remained the same (8). This phenomenon was also observed in NZ, where a decline in reported gonorrhea cases during and shortly after use of the tailor made meningococcal Group B OMV vaccine MeNZB is evident (Figure 2). Like Cuba, no other sexually transmitted infections (STIs) described in the national surveillance reports declined during that period (26). While purely ecological, these observations suggested that N. meningitidis OMV vaccines might offer cross protection against gonorrhea. FIGU...
Source: Frontiers in Immunology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Source Type: research