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African Traditional Herbal Research Clinic
Volume 4, Issue 4 NEWSLETTER May 2009
FEATURED ARTICLES
VACCINES: MENINGITIS
FEAR OF MENINGITIS HITS EDMONTON
VRAN Newsletter – Fall, 1999
By Edda West
Following the deaths of two teens and another 22
confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease
(IMD) in the Edmonton area in recent months, health
officials launched a massive vaccine campaign aimed at
70,000 teens between the ages of 15-19. As the
campaign got under way, a heightened fear of the
disease took hold, and the public demanded an
expansion of the meningitis campaign to include all
children from the age of 2 onward. One concerned
parent who called VRAN to inquire about vaccine side
effects said that numerous adverse reactions to the
vaccine like nausea and vomiting had also been
reported. Edmonton health officials identified the
reported cases as group C of neisseria meningitis.
Meningococcal disease is primarily relegated to the late
winter months and often seems to hit teen populations.
Health Canada’s web site indicates that 200-300 cases
of meningococcal disease occur each year. Mortality
can range from 5% to 15% of cases.
Meningitis is the term used to describe infections of the
central nervous system and “can be caused by almost
any infectious agent, including bacteria, mycobacteria,
fungi, spirochetes, protozoa, helminths, and viruses.
Certain symptoms and signs are common to all types of
central nervous system infection: headache, fever,
sensorial disturbances, neck and back stiffness, positive
Kernig and Brudzinski signs, and cerebrospinal fluid
abnormalities. Central nervous system infection
constitutes a medical emergency.” (1)
A few years ago, Kitchener/Waterloo area was host to
the neisseria meningitidis pathogen, which claimed the
lives of several young people. One teenage girl
developed meningitis and died a week after getting the
vaccine which health officials explained away as not
enough time to develop immunity, which takes about
10-14 days. Pathogens commonly linked to meningitis
are haemophilus Influenza B, pneumococcal organisms,
and the numerous sub groups of neisseria meningitidis.
Menomune, produced by Aventis Pasteur (previously
known as Connaught), is the quadrivalent vaccine used in
Canada during outbreaks to ‘protect’ from 4 groups of
neisseria mengitis – A,C, Y & W135. Product
information indicates that 20% of reported cases of
meningococcal disease occurs in infants and about one
quarter of resulting deaths are in infants. Thimerosal, a
mercury derivative is added to the vaccine as a
preservative. How long ‘protection’ lasts is not indicated
in the product information sheet.
A frightening possibility is that the vaccine might
actually fuel the outbreak of serogroups not covered.
Smith Kline’s statement about its meningitis vaccine
Mencevax reflects this concern. “The use of Mencevax
ACWY may increase the meningococcal carriage rates,
especially for meningococcal groups not included in the
vaccine.”
The most commonly occurring groups that appear in
Canada are C and B. However, the vaccine does not
‘protect’ from sub-group B. The age distribution of group
B and group C varies greatly. Infants with meningococcal
disease were significantly more likely to be infected with
group B disease than group C, and children below the age
of one year have the greatest age specific incidence of the
disease. The graph posted below is from Health Canada’s
web site and indicates the percentage of reported cases
according to serogroups, in 1995 and 1996. Clearly,
group B is quite dominant as it comprises 48% and 46%
respectively in these years. (2) Undoubtedly, this is why
health officials are often seemingly reluctant to do
sweeping vaccination campaigns because group B
meningitis antigen is not included in the vaccine. And
they know that statistically nearly half the cases that are
likely to occur may be ‘unprotectable’ by the vaccine.
Continued on page 5
4--Traditional African Clinic – May 2009