New meningitis vaccine could stop outbreaks

Health officials say a new meningitis vaccine will help prevent epidemics in Africa for the first time, revolutionizing how doctors fight outbreaks of the deadly disease.

Meningitis, a potentially fatal infection of the lining that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, strikes more than 20 countries in sub-Saharan Africa from Senegal to Ethiopia. Last year, there were about 80,000 cases including more than 4,000 deaths.

While rich countries have used meningitis vaccines for years, those available in the developing world cannot be used to prevent outbreaks because they don't last very long. They also cannot be used in children under 2, who are most vulnerable …