Researchers in New Zealand have launched an 18-month trial of a meningitis vaccine, and the New Zealand government has donated NZ$200 million over the next five years to help develop and distribute the shot. The vaccine, made by a U.S. company specifically for the New Zealand strain of meningitis, will hopefully bring the meningitis epidemic in the country to a close, said Health Minister Annette King. The trial will involve 75 volunteers, and King noted that "it's extremely rewarding to see the meningococcal vaccine strategy reach this stage of development."