Six cases of meningococcal disease have been reported in Mongolia since January, 2019 reported the National Centre for Communicable Diseases (NCCD) last week. The Ministry of Health has begun vaccination for preventing meningococcal disease at NCCD in Ulaanbaatar; this is taking place daily from 8.30 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. The cost of the vaccine is MNT 13500 per person. So far, 1000 people have received shots of the anti-meningococcal vaccination.

Meningococcal disease is caused by the bacteria Neisseria Meningitidis and can cause infections in the lining of the brain or in the blood, or both. It has a high mortality rate if untreated but is vaccine-preventable. Infants between 6-36 months are particularly vulnerable to this disease.

The common symptoms of the disease include sudden fever, vomiting, nausea, headache, stiff neck, backache and increased sensitivity to light.