A New Vaccine
In what may prove to be a major advance for Africa’s “meningitis belt”, regulatory authorities have decided that a new meningitis vaccine can be stored without refrigeration for up to four days, as long as it stays below 104 degrees Fahrenheit, or 40 Celsius. While a few days may seem trivial, the hardest part of protecting poor countries is often keeping vaccine cold while moving it from electrified cities to villages with no power. In bad years, epidem-ics during the hot Harmattan winds have killed as many as 25,000 Africans and disabled 50,000 more.