Meningococcal Vaccine

All links below open in new window

Recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Regarding Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

December 7, 2007 -- The Bureau of Immunization is pleased to announce the release of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notice, Recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for Use of Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4) in Children Aged 2--10 Years at Increased Risk for Invasive Meningococcal Disease, issued on December 7, 2007 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). On October 17, 2007, the Food and Drug Administration approved quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) (Menactra®, Sanofi Pasteur) for use in children 2 to 10 years of age, in addition to its prior approval for use in persons 11 to 55 years of age. This notice provides updated recommendations for meningococcal vaccination among children 2 to 10 years of age at increased risk for meningococcal disease. The recommendations were approved by the ACIP at its October 24, 2007 meeting.  You may access the full recommendation at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5648a4.htm?s_cid=mm5648a4_e.

The ACIP revised recommendation states that Menactra is preferable to meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine, (MPSV4) (Menomune®, Sanofi Pasteur) for vaccination of children 2 to 10 years of age who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease. These children include travelers to or residents of countries in which meningococcal disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, children who have terminal complement component deficiencies, and children who have anatomic or functional asplenia.

Additionally, the conjugate product (Menactra) is preferred to the polysaccharide product (Menomune) for use among children 2 to 10 years of age, for control of meningococcal disease outbreaks. Recommendations for use of Menactra in persons 11 to 55 years of age, including a recommendation for routine vaccination with MCV4 of persons 11 to 18 years of age, have been published previously and remain unchanged.

Expansion of Age-Range for Menactra

October 18, 2007 -- On October 18, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a press release announcing that it approved the use of Menactra bacterial meningitis vaccine (Sanofi Pasteur) to include children 2 to 10 years of age. Previously, the vaccine was licensed for use in persons 11 to 55 years of age. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) currently recommends meningococcal vaccination for children 2 to 10 years of age who are at increased risk of developing meningococcal disease, such as those who have had their spleen removed or whose spleen is not functioning; those with a medical condition called terminal complement component deficiency, which makes it difficult to fight infection; and those who expect to travel to areas outside of the United States where the disease is common. Vaccination also is used to control outbreaks of bacterial meningitis.

Please Note:  While the CDC recommends provision of Menactra to at-risk children 2 to 10 years of age, the CDC continues to recommend routine immunization with Menactra to persons 11 to 18 years of age. The following link provides the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program Resolution for the Menactra update:  http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/programs/vfc/ downloads/resolutions/1007mening-mcv.pdf [PDF 28 KB].

Revised Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices Regarding Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) published the Revised Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) to Vaccinate All Persons Aged 11--18 Years with Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine on August 10, 2007 in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Series, Vol 56, #31. In June 2007, the ACIP revised its recommendation to include routine vaccination of all persons 11 to 18 years of age with one dose of meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) at the earliest opportunity. Persons 11 to 12 years of age should be routinely vaccinated at the 11 to 12 years healthcare visit, as recommended by the ACIP. The ACIP continues to recommend routine vaccination for persons 19 to 55 years of age who are at increased risk for meningococcal disease: college freshmen living in dormitories, microbiologists routinely exposed to isolates of Neisseria meningitidis, military recruits, travelers to or residents of countries in which Neisseria meningitidis is hyperendemic or epidemic, persons with terminal complement component deficiencies, and persons with anatomic or functional asplenia.  The recommendation is available online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/PDF/wk/mm5631.pdf [PDF 327 KB].

Revised Meningococcal Vaccine Information Statement

The Bureau of Immunization is pleased to announce the release of the revised Meningococcal Vaccine Information Statement (VIS). Several additional cases of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) have been associated with meningococcal conjugate vaccine (see Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Update from October 2006). The VIS reflects the statement that "some" cases have been reported, rather than "a few" cases. The VIS has a new date (11/16/06), but existing stocks of the 10/7/05 edition may be used up. No other changes were made. Once a VIS is available, it should be used effective immediately. The VIS can be viewed online at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/default.htm.
To access a ready-to-print (PDF) version of the interim VIS (dated 11/16/06) from the CDC website, go to: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/downloads/vis-mening.pdf [44K PDF]. To access the VIS from the Immunization Action Coalition (IAC) VIS web section, go to: http://www.immunize.org/vis/menin06.pdf [45K PDF].

Reminder - Vaccine Information Statements: A federal statute requires all healthcare providers who administer vaccines covered by the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) to give patients or parents a copy of the relevant VIS. The VIS must be provided prior to vaccination. While the CDC develops VIS statements for all vaccines and encourages their use, it is a legal requirement that healthcare providers give patients or parents a VIS only if the vaccine is covered by the NVICP. Also, the name of the statute, the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act (NCVIA), can be confusing because the statute is not focused just on children. A vaccine receives coverage when CDC recommends a particular vaccine for routine administration to children. However, once the vaccine is in the program, the NVICP covers injuries to anyone who receives it, child or adult. More information about VIS statements can be found on the CDC’s website at http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/vis/vis-facts.htm.

---

MMWR: Notice to Readers - Improved Supply of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine, Recommendation to Resume Vaccination of Children 11 to 12 Years of Age

At the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Immunization Program (NIP), please ensure that Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR): November 3, 2006/55(43);1177, regarding the supply of and recommendations for Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4), is shared with colleagues, members, coalitions, and partners with an interest in the administration of meningococcal vaccine.

In May 2006, the CDC, in consultation with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), the American Academy of Pediatrics, American Academy of Family Physicians, American College Health Association, and Society for Adolescent Medicine, recommended deferral of MCV4 vaccination of children 11 to 12 years of age in response to vaccine supply limitations. Currently, Sanofi Pasteur reports that limitations in the MCV4 supply have been resolved.

Therefore, the CDC recommends resuming routine vaccination of all recommended groups according to ACIP recommendations, including children 11 to 12 years of age and, if not previously vaccinated with MCV4, of adolescents at high school entry (at approximately 15 years of age), of college freshmen living in dormitories, and of other persons at increased risk for meningococcal disease. Where possible, providers who deferred vaccination of children 11 to 12 years of age should recall those patients for vaccination. This MMWR can be viewed online at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5543a5.htm.

Please note: The Bureau of Immunization will provide the MCV4 (Menactra™) to all Vaccines for Children Program-eligible adolescents 11 to 18 years of age. We will monitor usage in order to assure an adequate supply to all of the age groups.