A report on antimeningitis vaccination and observations on agglutinins in the blood of chronic meningococcus carriers

Abstract

1. A meningococcus vaccine suspended in salt solution has been given subcutaneously as a prophylactic to about 3,700 volunteers in three injections of 2,000 million, 4,000 million, and 4,000 or 8,000 million cocci at weekly intervals. 2. These doses rarely caused more than the mildest local and general reactions. Exceptionally a more severe reaction emphasized the presence of an unusual individual susceptibility to the vaccine. In such instances the symptoms were in part those of meningeal irritation and sometimes simulated the onset of meningitis. 3. Specific meningococcus agglutinins have been demonstrated in the blood serum of vaccinated men as compared with normal controls. 4. Moreover, agglutinins have been demonstrated in the blood serum of chronic carriers of the meningococcus. Evidence is thus brought forward that the relative immunity of chronic carriers to epidemic meningitis may be due to the presence of specific antibodies in the blood stream. © 1918, Rockefeller University Press., All rights reserved.