How Often Do You Need To Get The Meningococcal Vaccine

How Is Meningococcal Disease Spread And Who Is Most At Risk

Meningococcal disease is not as contagious as other illnesses, such as a cold or the flu. But it is spread by contact with infected respiratory and throat secretions. That can happen with coughing, kissing, or sneezing.

Because the risk increases with close or prolonged contact with an infected person, family members in the same household and caregivers are at an increased risk. For the same reason, so are college students who live in dormitories.

Meningococcal Disease In Australia

Meningococcal disease can occur sporadically or in epidemics. In Australia, most cases occur during winter and early spring. Other countries with temperate climates also have this seasonal trend.95

The meningococcal serogroups that cause meningococcal disease have been changing. A meningococcal C vaccine was introduced on the National Immunisation Program in 2003 and has resulted in a large reduction in meningococcal C disease incidence.95,96

Meningococcal B has historically caused most meningococcal disease in Australia.96 Meningococcal B continues to cause around half of all reported cases of meningococcal disease in Australia.98

Meningococcal B is most common in South Australia, where a state-funded MenB vaccination program was introduced from 2018. Refer to the South Australian Health Department website for further details.

Because of substantial declines in invasive meningococcal disease caused by serogroups B and C, overall IMD incidence in Australia declined between 2003 and 2013.96

Since 2013, the incidence of meningococcal W disease has rapidly increased.98,99 Incidence of meningococcal Y disease has also been steadily increasing since 2016.98 Several states and territories implemented vaccination programs with MenACWY vaccine in 2017 to manage this disease. In 2018, MenACWY vaccine was introduced on the National Immunisation Program for toddlers aged 12 months. Adolescents are able to receive MenACWY vaccine on the National Immunisation Program from 2019.

Tetanus Diphtheria And Pertussis Vaccine

Tdap is a three-in-one vaccine. It protects people against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis.

Immunization against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis is required by law for all children attending school in Ontario, unless exempted.

What is tetanus?

Tetanus or lockjaw is a serious disease that can happen if dirt with the tetanus germ gets into a cut in the skin. Tetanus germs are found everywhere, usually in soil, dust and manure. It does not spread from person to person. Tetanus causes cramping of the muscles in the neck, arms, leg and stomach, and painful convulsions which can be severe enough to break bones. Even with early treatment, tetanus kills two out of every 10 people who get it.

What is diphtheria?

Diphtheria is a serious disease of the nose, throat and skin. It causes sore throat, fever and chills. It can be complicated by breathing problems, heart failure and nerve damage. Diphtheria kills about one out of every 10 people who get the disease. It is most often passed to others through coughing and sneezing.

What is pertussis?

For more information talk to your health care provider, contact your local Public Health Unit or visit ontario.ca/vaccines.

Some immunizations are required for children to attend school in Ontario. Please see the school immunization checklist for more information.

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Meningococcal Acwy Vaccine Side Effects

The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is effective and safe, although all medications can have unwanted side effects.

Side effects from this vaccine are uncommon and are usually mild, but may include:

• localised pain, redness and swelling at the injection site
• occasionally, an injection-site lump that may last many weeks
• low-grade temperature
• children being unsettled, irritable, tearful, or generally unhappy, drowsy and tired.

Rare Side Effects Of Meningococcal Immunisation

There is a very small risk of a serious allergic reaction to any vaccine. This is why you are advised to stay at the clinic or medical surgery for at least 15 minutes following immunisation in case further treatment is required.

If any other reactions are severe and persistent, or if you are worried, contact your doctor for further information.

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All Infants Children And Adults

Any person from 6 weeks of age who wants to protect themselves against meningococcal disease is recommended to receive MenACWY vaccine and MenB vaccine

Any person who wants to protect themselves against invasive meningococcal disease can receive MenACWY and MenB vaccines from as early as 6 weeks of age.

A summary of the recommendations for use of meningococcal vaccines is shown in Table. Recommendations for meningococcal vaccines by age group. The table shows the type of vaccines that are strongly recommended for specific age groups and special risk groups. See below for brand and dosing recommendations.

Preferred vaccines

Infants aged < 9 months can receive 2 of the 3 MenACWY brands . Infants and children aged 9 months to 2 years can receive any of the 3 MenACWY vaccine brands, following the age-appropriate dosing schedule.

For all people aged 2 years, it is preferable to receive either Menveo or Nimenrix, rather than Menactra.

There is no preference for either Bexsero or Trumenba for people aged 10 years who wish to receive a MenB vaccine. For people aged < 10 years, Bexsero is the only registered MenB vaccine available in Australia.

Recommended dose schedules

For recommended dose schedules for healthy people aged 2 years who wish to receive meningococcal vaccine, see Table. Recommendations for meningococcal vaccines for healthy people aged 2 years, by age and vaccine brand.

For the recommended dose schedules for healthy infants and children aged < 2 years, see:

Measles Mumps Rubella And Varicella Vaccine

The Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care recently introduced a new measles, mumps, rubella and varicella vaccine to the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedules for Ontario.

Immunization against measles, mumps and rubella is required by law for all children attending school in Ontario, unless exempted. Immunization against varicella is also required for children born in 2010 or later.

What is measles?

Measles can be a serious infection. It causes high fever, cough, rash, runny nose and watery eyes. Measles lasts for one to two weeks. Ear infections or pneumonia can happen in one out of every 10 children with measles. Measles can also be complicated by encephalitis, an infection of the brain, in about one out of every 1,000 children with measles. This may cause brain damage and developmental delays. Measles can also make a pregnant woman have a miscarriage or give birth prematurely.

Measles spreads from person to person very easily and quickly. People can get measles from an infected person coughing or sneezing around them or simply talking to them.

What is mumps?

Mumps can cause very painful, swollen testicles in about one out of four teenage boys or adult men, and painful infection of the ovaries in one out of 20 women. Mumps infection during the first three months of pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage. Mumps can cause deafness in some people.

What is rubella ?

What is varicella ?

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How Can I Be Protected

Vaccination protects against the disease and helps stop it spreading in our communities. There are vaccines available in New Zealand that protect against strains A, C, W and Y, and strain B of meningococcal disease.

One dose of vaccine protects against A, C, W and Y strains. Its FREE if youre aged between 13 and 25 years and:

• entering or in your first year of living in a boarding school hostel, tertiary education hall of residence, military barracks or prison
• already living in a boarding school hostel, tertiary education hall of residence, military barracks or prison .

There is also a vaccine available that protects against meningococcal B. Its not free, but highly recommended if you live in a place outlined above.

Meningococcal vaccines help protect you for up to five years. Get immunised if your last one was more than five years ago.

Simultaneous Administration With Other Vaccines

Men-C-C and 4CMenB vaccine may be administered concomitantly with routine childhood vaccines, and Men-C-ACYW vaccine may be administered concomitantly with adolescent and adult age appropriate vaccines. MenB-fHBP can be given concomitantly with quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine meningococcal serogroup A, C, Y, W conjugate vaccine and tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine adsorbed. The concomitant administration of MenB-fHBP has not been studied with other vaccines.

Men-C-ACYW-CRM can be administered with routine paediatric vaccines however, further studies are needed with regard to concomitant administration with pneumococcal 13-valent conjugate vaccine. Co-administration of Men-C-ACYW-CRM and combined tetanus toxoid, reduced diphtheria toxoid and acellular pertussis vaccine may result in a lower immune response to the pertussis antigens than when Tdap vaccine is given alone however, the clinical significance of this is unknown. Tdap vaccine given one month after Men-C-ACYW-CRM induces the strongest immunologic response to pertussis antigens.

If vaccines are to be administered concomitantly with another vaccine, a separate injection site and a different syringe must be used for each injection.

Refer to Timing of Vaccine Administration in Part 1 for additional general information.

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Rotavirus Vaccine Given At 2 And 4 Months

What is rotavirus?

Rotavirus is a common infection that causes vomiting and diarrhea in infants and children. Rotavirus is very contagious, spreading easily from children who are already infected to other infants, children and sometimes adults. Most children are infected with rotavirus at least once by five years of age. Serious but rare symptoms commonly seen in children less than two years of age include severe diarrhea, leading to hospitalization.

Rotavirus infection is a major cause of visits to health care providers and hospital stays for infants and children under five years of age in Ontario. Deaths in Ontario due to rotavirus are rare.

Some immunizations are required for children to attend school in Ontario. Please see the school immunization checklist for more information.

Acwy Vaccination Is Free For Some People

In Victoria, immunisation against meningococcal serogroups A, C, W and Y is available for free as part of the National Immunisation Program schedule for:

• children aged 12 months
• children from 13 months to under 20 years of age, who did not have their meningococcal C vaccine at 12 months
• young people in Year 10 of secondary school
• young people not in secondary school, aged 15 to 19 years.

Young people in the 15 to 19 years age group are more likely to spread the disease to others. One in five people in this age group carry the bacteria that cause meningococcal disease. Immunisation experts have advised that immunising this age group can prevent spread to other age groups and protect the wider community.

Eligible young people who are away from school on the day the vaccine was given, or who do not attend secondary school, can attend either a local government community immunisation session, or a general practitioner to receive the free meningococcal ACWY vaccine. The GP may charge a consultation fee.

Contact your local government to find out when and where immunisation sessions are held.

• People with specified medical risk conditions can also receive free meningococcal ACWY vaccine. This includes people with:
• a poorly functioning spleen or no spleen, including sickle cell disease or other haemoglobinopathies
• defects in, or a deficiency of, a complement component, including factor H, factor D or properdin deficiency
• current or future treatment with eculizumab .

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What Other Drugs Will Affect Menactra

Tell your doctor about all other vaccines you recently received, especially:

• a diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis vaccine or

• a pneumonia vaccine .

This list is not complete. Other drugs may interact with meningococcal conjugate vaccine, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal products. Not all possible drug interactions are listed here.

Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander People

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 months to 19 years are strongly recommended to receive MenACWY vaccine

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 months to 19 years are strongly recommended to receive MenACWY vaccine.

The dose schedule for MenACWY vaccine depends on the vaccine brand and the persons age when they start the vaccine course.

Infants aged < 9 months can receive 2 of the 3 MenACWY brands . Infants and children aged 9 months to 2 years can receive any of the 3 MenACWY vaccine brands, following the age-appropriate dosing schedule.

For all people aged 2 years, a single dose of MenACWY vaccine is recommended. In this age group, it is preferable to receive either Menveo or Nimenrix, rather than Menactra. If Menveo and Nimenrix are unavailable, Menactra can be given.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 2 months to 19 years are strongly recommended to receive a course of MenB vaccine.

The dose schedule for MenB vaccine depends on the brand and the persons age when they start the vaccine course.

People aged 29 years should receive 2 doses of Bexsero, 8 weeks apart.

People aged 10 years can receive 2 doses of either MenB vaccine:

• 2 doses of Bexsero, with 8 weeks between doses, or
• 2 doses of Trumenba, with 6 months between doses

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Meningococcal Group C Conjugate Vaccine

A Cochrane Review assessed the safety of MenC against group C disease. MenC vaccines were shown to have an excellent safety profile in infants. The events more frequently reported in infants were fever , irritability , crying more than expected , redness at the site of vaccination , tenderness at the site of vaccination and swelling at the site of vaccination . Anaphylaxis was reported at a rate of one per 500,000 doses distributed.

Getting The Meningococcal Acwy Vaccine

The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is free for all students in year 10 aged 1416 years through school-based immunisation programs. Students will receive a consent form from their school which must be signed by a parent or guardian and returned to school before a vaccination is provided.

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Children At High Risk Of Ipd

Infants at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition should receive Pneu-C-13 vaccine in a 4 dose schedule at 2 months, 4 months and 6 months followed by a dose at 12 to 15 months of age. Table 3 summarizes the recommended schedules for Pneu-C-13 vaccine for infants and children at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition by pneumococcal conjugate vaccination history.

In addition to Pneu-C-13 vaccine, children at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition should receive 1 dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine at 24 months of age, at least 8 weeks after Pneu-C-13 vaccine. If an older child or adolescent at high risk of IPD due to an underlying medical condition has not previously received Pneu-P-23 vaccine, 1 dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine should be administered, at least 8 weeks after Pneu-C-13 vaccine. Children and adolescents at highest risk of IPD should receive 1 booster dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine refer to Booster doses and re-immunization. Refer to Immunocompromised persons for information about immunization of HSCT recipients.

Table 3: Recommended Schedules for Pneu-C-13 Vaccine for Children 2 months to less than 18 years of age, by Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination History

How Effective Is Meningococcal Vaccine

Having the meningococcal vaccine does not give you lifelong protection against meningococcal disease. When you get the vaccine, it causes your body’s defence system to produce antibodies to fight against the infection if you come into contact with someone who has the illness. But, over time, the antibody levels decrease. The number and quality of antibodies and how long they last depend on what type of vaccine is used, the meningococcal group covered by the vaccine and the age of the person receiving the vaccine.

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Concurrent Administration Of Vaccines

Pneumococcal vaccines may be administered concomitantly with other vaccines, with the exception of a different formulation of pneumococcal vaccine . There should be at least an 8 week interval between a dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a subsequent dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine, and at least a 1 year interval between a dose of Pneu-P-23 vaccine and a subsequent dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine refer to Immunocompromised persons for information regarding administration of pneumococcal vaccines to HSCT recipients. Different injection sites and separate needles and syringes must be used for concurrent parenteral injections. Refer to Timing of Vaccine Administration in Part 1 for additional information about concurrent administration of vaccines.

Diphtheria Tetanus Pertussis Polio Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine

DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine given at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months and 18 months

DTaP-IPV-Hib vaccine is a combined vaccine that protects children against five diseases diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, polio and serious diseases like meningitis caused by haemophilus influenzae type b.

Immunization against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis and polio is required by law for all children attending school in Ontario, unless exempted.

What is diphtheria?

Diphtheria is a serious disease of the nose, throat and skin. It causes sore throat, fever and chills. It can be complicated by breathing problems, heart failure and nerve damage. Diphtheria kills about one out of every 10 people who get the disease. It is most often passed to others through coughing and sneezing.

What is tetanus?

Tetanus or lockjaw is a serious disease that can happen if dirt with tetanus germ gets into a cut in the skin. Tetanus germs are found everywhere, usually in soil, dust and manure. It does not spread from person to person. Tetanus causes cramping of the muscles in the neck, arms, leg and stomach and painful convulsions which can be severe enough to break bones. Even with early treatment, tetanus kills two out of every 10 people who get it.

What is pertussis?

What is polio?

What is haemophilus influenzae type b disease?

Children under five years are more likely to get Hib disease. Children who attend childcare centres are even more likely to catch it. The Hib germ spreads to others through coughing and sneezing.

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