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ACIP recommends meningococcal vaccine for infants
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The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices has recommended vaccination against meningococcal serogroups C and Y for children aged 6 weeks to 18 months who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease, according to data in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
A conjugate vaccine containing meningococcal groups C and Y and Haemophilus typeb tetanus toxoid (Hib-MenCY-TT; MenHibrix, GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals) was licensed by the FDA in June and is for active immunization for prevention of invasive disease caused by Hib and meningococcal serogroups C and Y. Before licensure of this vaccine, there were no meningococcal conjugate vaccines indicated for use in infants aged 2 to 8 months.
The vaccine is a four-dose series indicated for infants at increased risk for meningococcal disease. The first dose can be given when the infant is as young as 6 weeks and the last can be given as late as age 18 months. Infants at increased risk include those with recognized persistent complement pathway deficiencies and infants who have anatomic or functional asplenia, including sickle cell disease. The vaccine can also be used for infants aged 6 weeks to 18 months who reside in communities with serogroups C and Y meningococcal disease outbreaks.
Researchers found that Hib-MenCY-TT was safe and immunogenic for both Hib and meningococcal serogroups C and Y based on a single blind, controlled, multicenter study with two parallel randomized groups that compared the vaccine with US-licensed Hib-TT (ActHIB, Sanofi-Pasteur) in healthy infants aged 2, 4 and 6 months.
The findings revealed that the proportions of children who, after dose three, had serum bactericidal activity using human complement (hSBA) titers ≥1:8 to serogroups C and Y were 99% and 96%, respectively.
The children in the Hib-MenCY-TT group who had anti-HibPRP antibody concentrations ≥1 mcg/mL after dose three were 96% and 91% in the Hib-TT group.
Researchers also evaluated Hib-MenCY-TT before and after the fourth dose given at age 12 to 15 months and the proportion of subject with hSBA titers ≥1:8 was 99% for serogroups C and Y 1 month after the fourth dose.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
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