A local research clinic has received a high-profile contract to study the effectiveness of meningitis vaccines.

Rochester Clinical Research in Irondequoit is the American partner in an international study of the new meningitis-B vaccine.

It's teaming up with the Tyler Putnam Foundation. Putnam, 16, was a hockey player from Irondequoit who died in 2011 from a deadly form of bacterial meningitis-B.

Current vaccines do protect against meningitis-C and meningitis-Y and other infections, but do not offer protection against the potentially-deadly strain of meningitis-B.

"The hope is that if this vaccine is successful, which it's looking like it will be, is then to be able to meld that into the current existing vaccine, so that you can get one shot to cover for all the strains of meningococcus," said Michael Brennan, Rochester Clinical Research.

Meningitis is an infection that causes sometimes fatal swelling of the brain and spine, that is caused by bacteria or a virus.