Why Do I Need To Get The Vaccine
You’ve a higher risk of getting meningococcal disease because of your age. You need to get immunised to protect yourself as well as to protect others around you.
You may have previously had a MenC vaccine to protect you against meningococcal C infection, but this won’t protect you against MenW. Having the MenACWY vaccine after getting the MenC vaccine won’t only give you better protection against MenC infection, but will also protect you against the other 3 meningococcal groups .
Meningococcal B Vaccine Bexsero
Bexsero is broadly protective against meningococcal group B disease. Bexsero can be used to protect babies, children, adolescents and adults. Infants younger than twelve months of age need three doses to be fully protected. Older children, adolescents, and adults need two doses to be protected.
From 1 July 2021, Bexsero vaccine will be provided free of charge to close contacts of meningococcal cases of any meningococcal group , or people who are at higher risk of contracting meningococcal B disease because they:
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are pre- or post-splenectomy
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are pre- or post-solid organ transplant
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are post-bone marrow transplant
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are pre- or post-immunosuppression that will be/is longer than 28 days.
For others wishing to be protected against meningococcal B disease, Bexsero is available through your family doctor. The cost is approximately $150 per dose.
Bexsero is different to the MeNZB vaccine used in New Zealand between 2004 and 2011. The MeNZB vaccine was designed to target a specific type of meningococcal group B bacterium that only caused disease here in New Zealand. MeNZB was not meant for long term use. The vaccine was withdrawn once the rate of disease was significantly reduced. However, the active component of the MeNZB vaccine has contributed to the successful development of Bexsero.
How Does The Meningitis Acwy Vaccine Work
The Men ACWY vaccine contains inactivated extracts of four types of Neisseria meningitidis bacteria , which are some of the bacteria that can cause meningitis.
The vaccine stimulates the immune system to produce antibodies against these types of meningococcal bacteria, without actually causing meningitis. The antibodies stay in the body so that if you are exposed to the bacteria, the immune system can recognise and attack them. This prevents them from causing meningitis or septicaemia.
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Healthy Infants And Children
One dose of Men-C-C vaccine is recommended in unimmunized children less than 5 years of age. One dose of Men-C-C vaccine may be considered for children 5 to 11 years of age if they have not previously been immunized as infants or toddlers. Immunization with 4CMenB vaccine or MenB-fHBP may be considered on an individual basis, depending on individual preferences, regional serogroup B epidemiology and strain susceptibility.
Available Vaccines And Vaccination Campaigns
Five serogroupsgroups of bacteria that contain a common antigen that can generate an immune responseare collectively responsible for nearly all invasive meningococcal disease: groups A, B, C, Y, and W-135. Four of these are covered by quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines used in the United States.
There are two main types of meningococcal vaccines. A meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine has been available since the 1970s. However, like the polysaccharide vaccine against pneumococcal disease, it is most effective in adults and does not consistently generate immunity in young children.
The first conjugate meningococcal vaccine in the United States, MCV4 , was licensed in 2005, with a second, MenACWY-CRM , licensed in 2010. These are the preferred vaccines for individuals between two years and 55 years of age Menactra is approved for ages two to 55, and Menveo for ages 11 to 55.
Vaccines for group B meningococcal disease were licensed in the United States in 2014 and 2015. MenB-FHbp is a two-dose vaccine.
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Are Both Meningococcal Vaccines Equally Effective
The MCV4, MPSV4 and MenB vaccines are about 85-90% effective in preventing meningococcal disease. There are actually several types of N meningitidis — the bacterium that causes meningococcal disease, five of which are common in the U.S. These vaccines together protect against all five of these strains.
MCV4 has not been available long enough to compare the long-term effectiveness of the two vaccines. But most experts think that MCV4 provides better, longer-lasting protection.
Risks Of A Vaccine Reaction
- Redness or soreness where the shot is given can happen after meningococcal ACWY vaccination.
- A small percentage of people who receive meningococcal ACWY vaccine experience muscle pain, headache, or tiredness.
People sometimes faint after medical procedures, including vaccination. Tell your provider if you feel dizzy or have vision changes or ringing in the ears.
As with any medicine, there is a very remote chance of a vaccine causing a severe allergic reaction, other serious injury, or death.
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Do I Need Parental Consent
You and your parents, or carer, should discuss the information before agreeing to have the immunisation. Parental agreement’s always advised, although it isnt always necessary. If you or your parents have any questions about having the immunisation, you can talk to your practice nurse or GP if you feel you need more information about any aspect of the immunisation programme.
Other Vaccines That May Help
While theres currently no vaccine for viral meningitis, its believed several other routine vaccinations can help prevent it secondarily. Since meningitis can be a complication of other illnesses, being protected against them may lower your meningitis risk, too.
These vaccines include:
recommended for all children or adolescents. Others are only recommended for people considered high risk.
Heres a deeper dive into which vaccines are typically recommended per age group:
You are considered high risk for meningococcal disease if you:
- have functional or anatomic asplenia
- have an immune system disorder called persistent complement component deficiency
- take medications known as complement inhibitors, such as eculizumab
- , and any others where the meningococcal vaccine is recommended
- are a scientist who works with the meningococcus bacterium in a lab
- are a first-year college student living in a dorm or residence hall
- are a military recruit
Proof of up-to-date meningitis vaccination is often required for going to school, entering military service, and in some travel situations. These are considered high risk environments for infections like meningitis, as they put large groups of people in close quarters.
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Is The Vaccine Safe
The meningococcal ACWY vaccine is a safe and effective way to help protect young people from meningococcal disease. Meningococcal ACWY vaccination programs have been in place for adolescents in the UK since 2015 and in the US since 2005.
A single dose of meningococcal ACWY vaccine is very effective in providing protection against four types of meningococcal disease, A, C, W & Y.
Persons With Inadequate Immunization Records
Children and adults lacking adequate documentation of immunization should be considered unimmunized and started on an immunization schedule appropriate for their age and risk factors. Conjugate meningococcal vaccine, as appropriate for age, may be given regardless of possible previous receipt of the vaccine, as adverse events associated with repeated immunization have not been demonstrated. Refer to Immunization of persons with inadequate immunization records in Part 3 for additional general information.
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The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program
The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program is a federal program that was created to compensate people who may have been injured by certain vaccines. Claims regarding alleged injury or death due to vaccination have a time limit for filing, which may be as short as two years. Visit the VICP website at or call to learn about the program and about filing a claim.
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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Iv4 Vaccine Administration And Schedule
Schedule: Nimenrix has been approved for use in individuals aged 12 months to 55 years.
Dosage: 0.5ml of reconstituted vaccine should be administered.
Route of administration: This vaccine is intended for intramuscular injection. It may be given in the deltoid muscle or for children 12-23 months of age in the anterolateral thigh.
Booster doses: The manufacturer has not yet determined the need for a booster dose, however NACI recommends periodic boosters doses for individuals at high risk for meningococcal disease or who have ongoing increased risk of exposure.
Is It Possible To Get The Vaccine And Still Get Meningitis
Because the vaccines do not protect against all causes of meningitis, it is still possible that someone could receive the vaccine and still get meningitis from a different strain not protected by the vaccine. But the risk of contracting meningococcal meningitis is significantly lower after the vaccine.
There are other causes of meningitis that are preventable. Vaccines like the Hib vaccine and the pneumococcal vaccine are also very effective at protecting against other causes of meningitis and should be included as part of a routine childhood vaccination schedule. Check with your doctor and your children’s doctor to make sure that you and your family are protected against meningitis, as well as other serious illnesses.
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Other Vaccines Against Meningococcal Disease
Several bacteria can cause meningitis and septicaemia, some of which can be prevented through vaccination.
The Hib/MenC vaccine is offered as part of the NHS vaccination programme to all babies after their 1st birthday.
The MenB vaccine is offered as part of the NHS childhood vaccination programme to all babies at 8 and 16 weeks, with a booster after their 1st birthday.
Page last reviewed: 2 April 2020 Next review due: 2 April 2023
Haemophilus Influenzae Type B Vaccine
Before a vaccine became available for it, Haemophilus influenzae type b was the leading cause of bacterial meningitis. Hib is much less common today due to vaccinations.
Doctors usually administer the Hib vaccine at 2, 4, and 6 months of age. They will administer it again between the ages of 12 and 15 months.
The dosing regimen depends on the brand of vaccine an infant receives.
Doctors will give this vaccine either alone or as part of a combination vaccine.
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High Risk Groups For Meningococcal Disease
Other people are not funded under the National Immunisation Program and will require a prescription to purchase the meningococcal vaccines. If you are in one of the following high-risk groups, speak to your doctor about which vaccines you should have, the number of doses required and how long protection will last:
- infants and young children, particularly those aged less than two years
- adolescents aged 15 to 19 years
- people who have close household contact with those who have meningococcal disease and who have not been immunised
- people who smoke and are aged 15 to 24 years
- people who are travelling to places, such as sub-Saharan Africa, that have epidemics caused by serogroups A, C, W and Y
- pilgrims to the annual Hajj in Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabian authorities require a valid certificate of vaccination to enter the country
- people who work in a laboratory and who handle meningococcal bacteria
- people with HIV
- people who have had a haematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Common And Local Adverse Events
Conjugate meningococcal vaccines
Men-C-ACYW vaccines
Injection site reactions occur in up to 59% of vaccinees. Fever is reported in up to 5% of recipients and systemic reactions, such as headache and malaise, are reported in up to 60% of recipients.
Men-C-C vaccines
Mild reactions, including injection site reactions , occur in up to 50% of vaccine recipients. Irritability occurs in up to 80% of infants and fever in up to 9% when other vaccines were administered. Headaches and malaise occur in up to 10% of older children and adults. These reactions last no more than a few days.
Serogroup B Meningococcal vaccines
4CMenB vaccine
Solicited local and systemic reactions have been commonly reported in clinical trials and include injection site tenderness, induration, sleepiness and irritability. Higher rates of fever have been observed with simultaneous administration of 4CMenB vaccine and routine infant vaccines therefore, routine prophylactic administration of acetaminophen or separating 4CMenB vaccination from routine vaccination schedule has been proposed for preventing fever in infants and children up to three years of age.
MenB-fHBP vaccine
Solicited local and systemic reactions have been commonly reported in clinical trials and include injection site tenderness, induration and irritability.
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What Are The Common Side Effects
The most common side effects of the meningitis ACWY vaccine for young people are:
- redness
- hardening and itching at the injection site
- headache
- nausea
- fatigue
If you feel unwell at any time after getting immunised, you should contact your GP. If you’re worried, trust your instincts. Speak to your GP or phone the 111 service.
Phone your GP immediately if, at any time, you have a temperature of 39°C or above, or have a fit. If your GP practice is closed, phone the 111 service immediately.
Guidance On Reporting Adverse Events Following Immunization
To ensure the ongoing safety of vaccines in Canada, reporting of AEFIs by vaccine providers and other clinicians is critical, and in some jurisdictions, reporting is mandatory under the law.
Vaccine providers are asked to report AEFIs, through local public health officials, and to check for specific AEFI reporting requirements in their province or territory. In general, any serious or unexpected adverse event felt to be temporally related to vaccination should be reported.
For additional information about AEFI reporting, please refer to Adverse events following immunization. For general vaccine safety information, refer to Vaccine safety and pharmacovigilance in Part 2.
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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.
What Are The Possible Side Effects Of Meningococcal Vaccines
Some of the most common side effects are swelling, redness, and pain at the site of the injection, along with headache, fever, or tiredness. Serious problems, such as allergic reactions, are rare.
The meningococcal vaccines contains only a small piece of the germ, so it can’t cause meningococcal disease.
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How Do Vaccines Work
This article is part of a series of explainers on vaccine development and distribution. Learn more about vaccines from how they work and how theyre made to ensuring safety and equitable access in WHOs Vaccines Explained series.
Germs are all around us, both in our environment and in our bodies. When a person is susceptible and they encounter a harmful organism, it can lead to disease and death.
The body has many ways of defending itself against pathogens . Skin, mucus, and cilia all work as physical barriers to prevent pathogens from entering the body in the first place.
When a pathogen does infect the body, our bodys defences, called the immune system, are triggered and the pathogen is attacked and destroyed or overcome.
What Is Meningococcal Acwy & How Do You Catch It
Meningococcal disease is caused by bacteria and can result in meningitis, an infection of the membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord . It’s most common in babies, young children, teenagers and young adults, but can affect anyone and can be serious if not diagnosed and treated quickly. It can also cause septicaemia and permanent brain or nerve damage. The bacteria are spread from person to person by close contact over a prolonged period of time. This can include kissing, coughing, sneezing, or sharing utensils with a person carrying the bacteria.
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Managing Fever After Meningococcal Acwy Immunisation
Common side effects following immunisation are usually mild and temporary . Specific treatment is not usually required.
If fever is present, drinking extra fluids and not overdressing can help.
Although routine use of paracetamol after vaccination is not recommended , if fever is present, paracetamol can be given. Check the label for the correct dose according to your childs weight or speak with your pharmacist, especially when giving paracetamol to children.
What Are The Side Effects From The Meningococcal Vaccines
With any vaccine, there is the potential of a severe allergic reaction within a few minutes to a few hours after the shot. But the likelihood that the meningococcal vaccines would cause a severe reaction is extremely slight.
About one out of every two people who get the shot experience mild reactions such as redness or a mild pain where the shot was given. Those usually go away in one to two days. A small percentage of people develop a mild fever.
There have been reports that a few people have been diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome after receiving MCV4. But experts say it occurs so rarely that it’s not possible to tell if it’s related to the vaccine or coincidental.
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