FDA Approves New Meningitis Vaccine

January 24, 2005 On January 14, 2005, the US Food and Drug Administration approved a new vaccine to fight bacterial meningitis (meningococcal disease). The new vaccine, named Menactra, will be manufactured in Swiftwater, Pennsylvania, by Sanofi-Aventis, a French drug company. Menactra will protect people against the bacteria Neisseria meningitidis. This bacteria is the most frequent cause of bacterial meningitis in young people. Although the vaccine has been approved for use in people between 11 and 55 years of age, the FDA is withholding approval of Menactra for children younger than 11 years until Sanofi-Aventis can provide safety and effectiveness data for this age group. Hear IT! Meningitis Meningococcal