Reviews of meningococcal disease epidemiology in New Zealand have variously been published since 1991. This report provides 2006 data and some comparative historic data.
Key Results
Accurate disease surveillance data including evidence of disease confirmation are vital for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the MeNZB™ vaccine in combating the meningococcal disease epidemic in New Zealand. The established historical dataset provides the information against which changes in disease epidemiology can be evaluated. The number and proportion of meningococcal cases caused by the epidemic strain have decreased significantly since the introduction of the MeNZB™ vaccine in 2004.