West Africa: UN Agencies and Partners Warn of 'Acute Shortage' of Meningitis Vaccines

28 July 2015

West Africa is at risk of a large meningitis outbreak unless drug manufacturers increase vaccine production by 5 million doses before the 2016 meningitis season starts in January, the United Nations and leading public health organizations warned today.

"We have had preliminary discussions with vaccine manufacturers and impressed upon them the need to produce a stockpile of 5 million doses of vaccine so as to be ready for flare-ups of the disease next year in Africa, but so far they haven't yet revised their production plans to meet demand," said Dr. Imran Mirza, a health specialist with the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).

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