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Volume 13
Issue 11
10.3390/vaccines13111079
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Article

Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era in South America

by
Marco A. P. Sáfadi
1,*,
Juan Francisco Falconi
2,
Maria Gabriela Abalos
3,
Lidia Serra
4,
Angela Gentile
5,
Alejandro Diaz
6,7,8,
Claudia P. Cortes
9 and
Rodolfo Villena
10
1
Department of Pediatrics, Santa Casa de São Paulo School of Medical Sciences, Rua Afonso Braz, 579, Cj 45, São Paulo 04511-011, Brazil
2
Pfizer, Santiago 7560742, Chile
3
Pfizer Vaccines, Buenos Aires B1607EEV, Argentina
4
Pfizer, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
5
Hospital de Niños Dr. Ricardo Gutiérrez, University of Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires C1425EFD, Argentina
6
Hospital Pablo Tobón Uribe, Medellín 050015, Colombia
7
Hospital General de Medellín Luz Castro de Gutiérrez ESE, Medellín 050015, Colombia
8
Hospital Infantil Concejo de Medellín, Medellín 050015, Colombia
9
Department of Internal Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Santiago 8330015, Chile
10
Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universidad de Chile, Infectious Disease Unit, Hospital de Niños Dr. Exequiel González Cortés, Santiago 8900000, Chile
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Vaccines 2025, 13(11), 1079; https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111079
Submission received: 8 August 2025 / Revised: 2 October 2025 / Accepted: 9 October 2025 / Published: 22 October 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Epidemiology and Vaccination)
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Abstract

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, reductions in cases of bacterial diseases transmitted via the respiratory route were reported by the Invasive Respiratory Infection Surveillance Consortium. Here, we evaluate the epidemiology of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: The epidemiology of meningococcal disease was reviewed in selected South American countries through 2023 from publicly available national surveillance system databases. Results: The incidence of IMD decreased substantially in 2020 in Argentina, Brazil, Chile, and Colombia and was followed by a trend of increased disease. Similarly to observations in several European countries, the post-pandemic rebounds in cases of IMD in the four South American countries included in this analysis were mainly caused by serogroup B, that became one of the predominant serogroups causing IMD in all four countries. Conclusions: Enhanced surveillance of IMD, including genomic characterization of strains, is needed to inform public health policymakers and guide future vaccination strategies in the region.
Keywords: COVID-19; South America; disease incidence; meningococcal disease; Neisseria meningitidis COVID-19; South America; disease incidence; meningococcal disease; Neisseria meningitidis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Sáfadi, M.A.P.; Falconi, J.F.; Abalos, M.G.; Serra, L.; Gentile, A.; Diaz, A.; Cortes, C.P.; Villena, R. Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era in South America. Vaccines 2025, 13, 1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111079

AMA Style

Sáfadi MAP, Falconi JF, Abalos MG, Serra L, Gentile A, Diaz A, Cortes CP, Villena R. Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era in South America. Vaccines. 2025; 13(11):1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111079

Chicago/Turabian Style

Sáfadi, Marco A. P., Juan Francisco Falconi, Maria Gabriela Abalos, Lidia Serra, Angela Gentile, Alejandro Diaz, Claudia P. Cortes, and Rodolfo Villena. 2025. "Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era in South America" Vaccines 13, no. 11: 1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111079

APA Style

Sáfadi, M. A. P., Falconi, J. F., Abalos, M. G., Serra, L., Gentile, A., Diaz, A., Cortes, C. P., & Villena, R. (2025). Invasive Meningococcal Disease in the Post–COVID-19 Era in South America. Vaccines, 13(11), 1079. https://doi.org/10.3390/vaccines13111079

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