Discuss the current status of vaccine control of bacterial meningitis and the prospects for developing new vaccines. (this is a couple of years out of date now but could be used as a basis for a current essay)

The three most common causes of bacterial meningitis are Haemophilus influenzae serotype b (Hib), Neisseria meningitidis (meningococcus), and Streptococcus pneumoniae. In addition other organisms such as M. tuberculosis and Cryptococcus neoformans, cause meningitis less frequently [26, 27].

Hib conjugate vaccines were a breakthrough in the control of bacterial meningitis, before they became widely used Hib was the most common cause of bacterial meningitis in children between two months and five years of age in the USA [26]. In Britain introduction of the Hib vaccine to the primary infant immunisation schedule in 1992 has lead to a dramatic decline in the incidence of invasive Hib [2]. The same decrease in rates of invasive disease after routine Hib conjugate vaccination of infants can be seen throughout the developed world.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is considering whether to provide these new vaccines as part of its expanded immunisation programme after ...