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 for people at risk of meningococcal disease. 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.
Booster doses
Can I Get This Vaccine Privately
Yes. A variety of pharmacies, travel clinics and private GP practices offer this vaccine. Prices vary, so you may wish to contact more than one provider before making your choice. Expect to pay at least £100 per dose .
Some GP surgeries may be able to help, so you may wish to ask at your GP surgery first. However, NHS contracts may prevent GPs being able to offer private treatment to their own patients.
What Are Neisseria Meningitidis
Neisseria meningitidis are bacteria that may be found normally in peoples throats and noses. About 5 to 15% of people carry these bacteria and do not get sick from them. These people may be referred to as colonized. Colonized people only have bacteria for a short time. Usually, the bacteria go away and these people may have increased resistance to infection in the future. In rare cases, the bacteria may get into the blood and go to the tissue surrounding the spinal cord and brain, causing severe illness. It is not known why this occurs in certain people and not in others. A recent upper respiratory illness may be a contributing factor.
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Immunogenicity And Vaccine Effectiveness
- Conjugate: A type of vaccine that joins a protein to an antigen in order to improve the protection the vaccine provides
- Recombinant protein: A type of vaccine that contains protein antigens
Incidence of meningococcal disease has declined in the United States since the 1990s and remains low today. Much of the decline occurred prior to routine use of MenACWY vaccines. In addition, serogroup B meningococcal disease declined even though MenB vaccines were not available until the end of 2014.
CDC first recommended adolescents get a MenACWY vaccine in 2005. Since then, the incidence of meningococcal disease in adolescents caused by serogroups C, Y, and W decreased by over 90% . Other age groups that CDC does not recommend routine MenACWY vaccination for did not see this large of a percent decline. These data suggest MenACWY vaccines have provided protection to those vaccinated, but not to the larger, unvaccinated community through population or herd immunity. Experts also believe MenB vaccines do not provide protection to unvaccinated people through population immunity. As part of the licensure process, both MenACWY and MenB vaccines demonstrated that they produce an immune response. This immune response suggests the vaccines are protective , but effectiveness data are limited. Since meningococcal disease is uncommon, many people need to get these vaccines in order to measure their effectiveness.
Meningococcal Vaccine: Canadian Immunization Guide
For health professionals
Latest partial content update :
: The chapter has been updated to align with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization Statement : The Use of Bivalent Factor H Binding Protein Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccine for the Prevention of Meningococcal B Disease.
Updates include:
MenB-fHBP vaccine may be considered as an option for use in individuals 10 years of age and older in situations when a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine should be offered:
MenB-fHBP vaccine may be considered as an option for individuals 1025 years of age who are not at higher risk of meningococcal disease than the general population, but who wish to reduce their risk of invasive serogroup B meningococcal disease.
Last complete chapter revision: May 2015
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How Was The Meningococcal Vaccine Made
Its made with the antigens contained in the outer polysaccharide or sugar capsule that surrounds the bacterium. The meningococcal conjugate vaccine or MCV4 was approved in 2005. It uses antigens taken from the polysaccharide capsule and then bound to a separate protein that targets the bodys immune cells.
Whats The Outlook For People Who Get Meningitis B
Most people who develop this disease survive without long-lasting after effects. However, meningitis B is a potentially fatal disease.
Even with treatment, some people who develop meningitis B can die from it. The sooner treatment is administered, the better chance of a positive outcome.
Of those who survive meningococcal disease, around 19 percent will have permanent side effects or disabilities. These can include:
- amputation of limbs
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Who Should Not Get A Meningococcal Vaccine
Your preteen or teen shouldn’t get the meningococcal vaccine if they:
- Has had a severe, life-threatening allergic reaction to a meningococcal vaccine before or to any vaccine component
- Is moderately or severely ill
- Has ever had Guillain-Barre syndrome
Pregnant women can get the meningococcal vaccine, but it’s only recommended for those with certain immune problems or those likely to be exposed to meningitis. With the newer MCV4 and MenB vaccines, there hasn’t been as much study in pregnant women compared to the MPSV4 vaccine.
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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Why Are Meningococcal Vaccines Recommended
Meningococcal disease is caused by a type of bacteria. It can lead to an infection of the bloodstream or meningitis, or both, and can be life-threatening if not quickly treated. The MenACWY vaccine is very effective at protecting against four strains of the bacteria, while the MenB vaccine protects against a fifth strain.
Where Did Meningococcal Come From
Meningococcal disease is caused by strains of the bacterium called Neisseria meningitidis . It is transmitted through close and prolonged contact with mucus from an infected person. The subtypes are given different letters of the alphabet. The main types seen in Australia are Meningococcus B, W and Y.
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Menb Vaccination Of Adults At Increased Risk
MenB vaccines are not approved for use in people under 10 years old. Adults should receive a MenB vaccine if they are at increased risk for serogroup B meningococcal disease due to
- Having certain medical conditions
- Complement component deficiency
- Functional or anatomic asplenia
Those who remain at increased risk need regular booster doses.
- Administer a booster dose of MenB vaccine 1 year after series completion and then every 2 to 3 years thereafter.
- For those at increased risk due to an outbreak who previously received the MenB vaccine series, CDC recommends a booster dose if a year or more has passed since primary series completion.
I Have Heard That There Is Another Menb Vaccine
Another MenB vaccine, called Trumenba, has recently been licenced for use in Europe and the UK. This vaccine has been developed by Pfizer and is licenced for use in adults and children over the age of 10. This vaccine is available through private providers.
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Why The Meningitis B Vaccine Is Used
There are many reasons that the meningitis B vaccine was developed and why you would want to protect yourself and those you love against it.
Meningitis B is a serious disease that progresses quickly and can lead to death. The mortality rate from meningitis B in the United States is about 10 to 15 percent when treated and up to 50 percent when untreated. Its also possible to develop long-term conditions such as hearing loss or even brain damage after recovering from meningitis B.
The MenB bacterial infection is passed between people through saliva and respiratory fluids. Activities like sharing drinks, kissing, or coughing can spread the bacterium. The meningitis B vaccine can help reduce transmission between people and prevent or manage outbreaks.
Unlike many diseases, meningitis B is most common in young people. Infants and young children are at the highest risk. Adolescents and young adults are at the next highest risk of infection.
Between 2013 and 2018, meningococcal disease outbreaks occurred at 10 universities and led to two deaths. All 10 universities implemented MenB vaccination to prevent further spread.
Why Is The Meningitis B Vaccine Not Recommended As Strongly As The Ac W Y Vaccine
In short: cost. Dr. Tan says theres a problem with formally recommending a meningitis B vaccination for every young person in the US. Were not infinitely rich. The resources to vaccinate every adolescent in our countryits immense. Its just not practical, he explains.
That said, the current recommendation isnt working either.
Weve got to figure out a way to manage this. Were depriving people of a very good vaccine who might want to get protected, Dr. Tan says. He places the blame on doctors who dont bring up the disease or the vaccine when they meet with their patients. Thats an implementation problem. If you fail to talk about B vaccine, youre failing your patients. need to have an internal policy where everybody agrees youre going to talk about the vaccine, Dr. Tan says.
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Can Menb Disease Be Prevented
Yes. This vaccine helps protect babies against MenB and there are other vaccines, like MenC, that protect against some other types of meningococcal infections.
Immunising babies helps protect them when they’re most at risk of developing meningococcal disease.
Meningitis and septicaemia are very serious diseases that need urgent medical treatment. Some of the symptoms are very similar to the symptoms of flu, so, if youre in any doubt about your babys health, trust your instincts and get advice urgently by phoning your GP, or the 111 service if your GP is closed.
Is The Meningitis B Vaccine Safe
In the same 2021 study mentioned above, researchers found the vaccine demonstrated an acceptable level of safety. No safety concerns have been raised based on current data, which includes more than 3 million doses administered in the United Kingdom.
Data from Quebec revealed four cases of a kidney disorder called nephrotic syndrome in children age 2 to 5 within 13 months of receiving their vaccine. Researchers are still trying to understand if theres a link, but a lack of similar findings from other countries suggests these cases may have occurred by chance.
Side effects of meningitis B are usually mild and last for
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Routine Menacwy Vaccination Of Adolescents
All 11 to 12 year olds should receive a meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Since protection wanes, CDC recommends a booster dose at age 16 years. The booster dose provides protection during the ages when adolescents are at highest risk of meningococcal disease.
- For adolescents who receive the first dose at age 13 through 15 years, administer a booster dose at age 16 through 18 years, before the period of increased risk.
- Adolescents who receive their first dose of MenACWY vaccine at or after age 16 years do not need a booster dose.
- Adolescents who are at increased risk due to medical conditions need a 2-dose primary series of MenACWY vaccine administered 8 weeks apart, as well as regular booster doses every 5 years.
- CDC also recommends a booster dose for those at increased risk due to an outbreak if 5 or more years have passed since receiving MenACWY.
The Meningitis B Vaccine Can Help Prevent This Deadly Illness
Weve told you the scary stuff, now heres the part where we give you some reassuring news. First, any form of meningococcal diseaseincluding meningitis Bis relatively rare, and incidents have been on the decline in the last few decades. The CDC says that in 2017, there were about 350 total cases of meningococcal disease reported. Thats 0.11 cases per 100,000 people.
The other good news is that you can reduce your childs risk of getting meningitis B by making sure they get the meningitis B vaccine. The reason that we vaccinate against things is that they are severe diseases, even if they occur rarely, Adam J. Ratner, M.D., director of the division of Pediatric Infectious Disease at NYU Langone and associate professor in both the department of Pediatrics and department of Microbiology at NYU Langone, tells SELF.
The meningitis B vaccine introduces your body to a specific part of the bacteria cell, combined with whats called an adjuvantan extra material that helps boost the effectiveness of the immune responseso your body learns to produce antibodies that target that bacteria. Your body does not see the whole bacteria, and so it’s impossible to get the infection from the vaccine itself, Dr. Vyas explains. Theres more than one meningitis B vaccine available, but both require at least two doses for maximum effectiveness.
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Does The Vaccine Work
The MenB vaccine has been tested on thousands of adults and children, and from these clinical trials it is thought that the new vaccine will prevent a high proportion of cases of group B meningococcal disease. However because the disease is rare, the exact number of cases that will be prevented will not be known until the vaccine has been used routinely.
In February 2016 Public Health England published research which showed that the MenB vaccine should help to provide protection against the aggressive strain of MenW disease circulating in the UK , as well as protecting against MenB disease.
In September 2016 Public Health England reported on research carried out on babies in the UK who were eligible to receive the new MenB vaccine. The research showed that the number of cases of meningitis and septicaemia caused by MenB infection in these babies had nearly halved over the previous year . See the research published in The Lancet in October 2016.
Public Health England estimates that the MenB programme prevented about 250 cases of invasive MenB disease in the first three years of the programme. In the second year of the programme, there was an estimated 72% reduction in the number of cases of invasive MenB disease in infants, and in the third year of the programme there was a further estimated 60% reduction in cases of invasive MenB disease in infants.
Serogroup B Meningococcal Or Menb Vaccines
GlaxoSmithKline formulates each 0.5-mL dose of Bexsero® to contain:
- 50 µg each of recombinant proteins Neisserial adhesin A , Neisserial Heparin Binding Antigen , and factor H binding protein
- 25 µg of Outer Membrane Vesicles
- 5 milligrams aluminum hydroxide
- 125 mg sodium chloride
- 10 mg sucrose at pH 6.4 6.7
Each dose contains less than 0.01 µg kanamycin .
Pfizer formulates each 0.5-mL dose of Trumenba® to contain:
- 60 µg each of 2 lipidated fHBP variants
- 0.018 mg of polysorbate 80
- 0.25 mg of Al³+
- 10 millimolar histidine buffered saline at pH 6.0
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Special Considerations For Concomitant Use Of Menactra And Dtap
Children can receive Menactra® before or concomitantly with diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccines. This timing avoids interference with the immunologic response to the meningococcal vaccine antigens that occurs when administering Menactra® after DTaP. Alternatively, children can receive Menveo® or MenQuadfi®, regardless of timing of DTaP vaccination.
Shouldnt Meningococcal B Vaccine Be Required
CDCs Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has reviewed the available data regarding serogroup B meningococcal disease and the vaccines. At the current time, there is no routine recommendation and no statewide requirement for meningococcal B vaccination before going to college . As noted previously, adolescents and young adults may be vaccinated with a serogroup B meningococcal vaccine, preferably at 16 through 18 years of age, to provide short term protection against most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease. This would be a decision between a healthcare provider and a patient. These policies may change as new information becomes available.
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