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Every year, meningitis B affects thousands of people worldwide, leading to almost 150,000 deaths but here is some hope to tame the disease: A new jab (vaccine), which provides protection against the most-dreaded form of meningitis (the B strain), could hit the market in just a few months.

It could be administered on babies from the age of two months in three doses, with a booster at one year.

Trials for the 4CMenB vaccine, which is believed to be the first vaccine against meningitis B, have produced encouraging results that could help tackle the disease and save thousands of lives, especially that of children.

The inference, presented at the European Society for Paediatric Infectious Diseases in The Hague, shows the vaccine provided protection against 80 per cent of the 1,000 meningitis B strains all over Europe.

“The results are a positive development in the fight to wipe out meningitis B, which is the biggest killer among all types of meningitis. This vaccine is the first of its kind and could save many lives,” said a person associated with the experiment.

Meningitis B is mainly seen in kids and can be life-threatening for children under the age of four. While almost 10% suffering from this dreaded disease die every year, almost double that number get crippled for life with various disabilities.

Meningitis can be of many types and is caused by various microorganisms. Meningococcal B or meningitis B, which is one of the most common forms of meningitis also, is a serious threat to scientists as they have not been able to find a vaccine for it earlier.

In the experiment, the vaccine was administered on 1,800 children who showed that the 4CMenB jab worked well alone or with vaccines for other strains.

While testing 1,500 more children, it was discovered that it offered protection if a booster jab is given, while another showed an immune response in adolescents.

Developed by Novartis, the 4CMenB vaccine could be in the market in the beginning of next calendar year when it could be available privately (probably at a premium).

The vaccine was made with the help of “reverse vaccinology,” decoding the genome sequence of meningitis B and selecting proteins that had the potential to become effective vaccines.

So, if you could afford to pay a big price to vaccinate your child you could save him or her from the dreaded meningitis B within months or may be by the beginning of next year. But it may be a couple of years before the common man can lay his hands on the meningitis B injection to get his child vaccinated.