The first widely used meningitis (meningococcal) vaccine was introduced in the 1970s , with a polysaccharide vaccine against Neisseria meningitidis becoming available during that decade.

Quick Scoop

To put it in clearer timeline form:

  • Early work (1960s): Research groups, especially in the U.S. military, began developing vaccines against meningococcal disease in the 1960s, leading to early polysaccharide vaccines (for example, targeting serogroup C, tested in 1968 in the U.S. armed forces).
  • First generally available meningococcal vaccine (1970s): The first meningococcal vaccine that became broadly available is recorded as appearing in the 1970s , marking the practical introduction of a meningitis (meningococcal) vaccine for wider use.
  • Broader quadrivalent vaccine (1981): A tetravalent polysaccharide vaccine (Menomune), covering serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135, was licensed in 1981 in the United States and then recommended for specific high‑risk groups.

So if you’re asking “when was the meningitis vaccine introduced?” in the general, historical sense, the best short answer is:

A meningococcal (bacterial meningitis) vaccine was first introduced in routine form in the 1970s , with major broader-coverage vaccines licensed in the early 1980s.

TL;DR: First effective meningococcal vaccines: research and initial use in the 1960s, general availability in the 1970s , and key multi‑strain vaccines licensed in 1981.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.