The meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine strategy implemented in Brazil proved highly effective and had a strong direct impact on the target population. However, case fatality rates of meningococcal disease remain high with a wide gap in the risk of disease between poor and affluent areas, pointing to the need to reexamine the current strategy on a regular base.

Background: Meningococcal disease (MD) is a serious public health concern, associated with high case fatality rates (10-20%) and substantial morbidity. The objectives of this study were to analyze epidemiological aspects of MD in the Federal District (FD), Brazil, from 2000 to 2011 and to assess the impact of the meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccine (MCCV).Methods & Materials: Descriptive study of cases of MD among residents of the FD. We included in the study confirmed cases of MD reported to the local surveillance. To reduce underreporting we compared data to the Brazilian Mortality Database and the Public Health Laboratory Database. We studied sociodemographic, clinical, and pathogen-related variables. For the assessment of the impact of MCCV, which was introduced in 2010 for children under two, we compared the incidence of MD before and after vaccine introduction in the recommended age groups for vaccination.Results: We analyzed 490 confirmed cases of MD in the period.