21 July 2004 UPDATE: Changes to Meningococcal Meningitis Recommendations for Travellers

Meningococcal meningitis recommendations for travellers have been revised to reflect changes in epidemiology of the different circulating strains of meningococcal disease and to take into consideration the presence or absence of recent meningitis outbreaks. The changes also simplify advice by recommending only one type of meningococcal vaccine for travellers (i.e. the quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis vaccine).

The main changes in recommendations for travellers are:

1. The quadrivalent meningococcal meningitis vaccine is now the vaccine of choice for travellers considered to be at risk.
2. Individual country recommendations (see list of countries below).

Vaccination should be considered particularly for those living or working with local people or visiting an area of risk during an outbreak. Countries with potential risk in Africa are listed below; however, outbreaks may also occur in countries not listed and recommendations may change in accordance with information on such outbreaks.

Angola
Benin
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Cameroon
Central African Republic
Chad
Cote d'Ivoire
Democratic Republic of Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Gambia
Ghana
Guinea
Guinea Bissau
Kenya
Malawi
Mali
Mozambique
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rwanda
Senegal
Sierra Leone
Somalia
Sudan
Tanzania
Togo
Uganda
Zambia

Proof of vaccination with the quadrivalent vaccine is required for visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah pilgrimages.

Vaccine is no longer recommended for travellers to areas outside of Africa (other than Saudi Arabia during the Hajj / Umrah) unless outbreaks occur.