Nigeria first to use 'revolutionary' meningitis jab: WHO

Geneva: Africa s most populous nation Nigeria has launched a revolutionary vaccine against meningitis, in what the World Health Organization (WHO) o...

Geneva: Africa's most populous nation Nigeria has launched a "revolutionary" vaccine against meningitis, in what the World Health Organization (WHO) on Friday said was a world first.

"Meningitis is an old and deadly foe, but this new vaccine holds the potential to change the trajectory of the disease, preventing future outbreaks and saving many lives," said WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

"Nigeria's rollout brings us one step closer to our goal to eliminate meningitis by 2030," he said.

The Men5CV vaccine shields against the five major strains of the meningococcal bacteria (A, C, W, Y and X) in a single shot.

The WHO said it offers broader protection than the current vaccine used in much of Africa, which is only effective against the A strain.