MenAfriVac® becomes the first vaccine to gain approval to travel outside cold chain

November 14 – As Benin rolls out MenAfriVac®, MVP scientists announce that the meningococcal A conjugate vaccine created to meet the needs of Africa’s meningitis belt can now be transported and stored for as long as four days without refrigeration or even an icepack.

MenAfriVac®, which is already showing a dramatic impact in Africa, is the first vaccine to benefit from a decision that could help increase campaign efficiency and coverage and save funds normally spent maintaining the challenging cold chain during the “last mile” of vaccine delivery. It is estimated that, by the end of 2012, more than 100 million people in Africa will have received MenAfriVac®, which is a registered trademark of Serum Institute of India, Ltd.

Read the press release (pdf 74kb).

In the photo above, eleven-year-old Mikael from the village of Banikoara (northern Benin) becomes the first person ever vaccinated with a vaccine distributed in a “controlled temperature chain.” Far from realizing he is making history, he tells the vaccinator about his dream of being a doctor when he grows up.

Photo: Sylvestre Tiendrebeogo/WHO.