Six cases of meningococcal disease have been reported in Mongolia since January, 2019 reported the National Centre for Communicable Disease (NCCD) on Thursday.

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.

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

Mongolia has begun vaccination for preventing meningococcal disease at the National Centre for Communicable Disease (NCCD) in Ulaanbaatar from 9.00 a.m. to 3.00 p.m. The cost of the vaccine is MNT 13500 per person.