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Swiss physician Gaspard Vieusseux first describes meningococcal disease, following an epidemic in Geneva, Switzerland.
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Anton Weichselbaum discovers bacterial Neisseria meningitidis the bacteria that causes meningococcal disease, in patients affected by meningitis
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Major epidemic outbreaks are observed in Africa, especially in the sub-Saharan region.
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American scientist Simon Flexner develops an antimeningococcal serum that is shown to decrease mortality in people with meningococcal meningitis.
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Penicillin is used for the first time to treat patients who have meningococcal meningitis
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The first polysaccharide vaccine for meningococcal meningitis is approved, but it only protects against 1 of the 5 serogroups
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The first meningococcal disease vaccine to help protect against 4 of the 5 major serogroups of meningococcal bacteria is licensed in the United States
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The US Army begins to vaccinate all recruits against meningococcal disease. This came following several outbreaks that led to the development of polysaccharide vaccines.
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More than 25,000 people die during the largest meningococcal meningitis epidemic ever recorded in history. More than 250,000 cases are reported.
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organizations draw up a plan for the development of conjugate vaccines to fight and eliminate meningitis epidemics in Africa.
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The FDA licenses additional meningococcal disease vaccines, called meningococcal conjugate vaccines, to help protect against 4 of the 5 major disease-causing serogroups.
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine vaccination for preteens against meningococcal disease at the 11- to 12-year-old checkup.
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MCV4-CRM (Meningitis vaccine) is approved by FDA for children from ages 2-23 months
