Double Duty: Can the meningitis vaccine also protect against gonorrhea?
Summary
Hosts Kristen Sinani and Regina Nuzzo examine the GOGOVAX trial, which tested if a meningococcal vaccine prevents gonorrhea. They discuss statistical concepts like intention-to-treat analysis and critique vague terms like "flirting with significance." The trial found no protective effect in high-risk men, leading the hosts to rate the evidence for cross-protection as very weak.
Topics discussed
Intro: Flirting with statistical significance and study topic
GOGOVAX trial: Meningococcal vaccine for gonorrhea
Meningitis, Men-B vaccine, and cross-protection theory
Gonorrhea transmission, symptoms, and reinfection risks
Observational studies: Ecologic trends and case-control data
Small trials (MENGO) and the 'trend' towards significance
Statistical humor: Euphemisms for non-significant p-values
Course promo and GOGOVAX prevalence data
GOGOVAX design: High-risk MSM population and outcomes
Intention-to-treat vs. per-protocol analysis explained
GOGOVAX results: Null finding in primary analysis
Caveats: Generalizability to women and infection-naive groups
Smooch scale rating and methodological morals
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