Vaccines by
disease: Learning more about
meningococcal vaccines
This vaccine is important because
meningococcal disease is the leading cause of bacterial
meningitis in children between the ages of 2 and 18 years.
Approximately 1,500 people living in the United
States are diagnosed with a meningococcal disease annually,
and 10 percent die. The death rate in
teens and young adults with meningococcal disease is nearly 20 percent. Another 11 percent to 19 percent suffer
life-long conditions including deafness, mental retardation,
seizures, strokes, severe skin scarring requiring skin
grafts, and loss of limbs or digits.
The meningococcal vaccine protects against four of the five
types of meningococcal bacteria. Prevention is the key to
not contracting meningococcal disease, and the most effective
preventive method is the meningococcal vaccine.
This video describes the
heartbreaking stories of two young people
who contracted meningitis.
Who should receive meningococcal vaccines?
Each meningococcal vaccine is recommended for different age
groups and for varying specific circumstances.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4) is recommended for
all 11-to-18 year olds who have never received a
meningococcal vaccination. College students who will be living in
dormitories who have never received a meningococcal
vaccination also should get the MCV4 vaccine.
People 2 to 55 years of age at high risk for meningococcal
disease should be given
MCV4 including:
Military recruits
People
traveling to parts of the
world where meningococcal disease is common
Anyone who has been exposed to a
meningococcal disease outbreak
Microbiologists who could be
exposed to meningococcal disease in the laboratory
People who have a damaged spleen
or have had their spleen removed
People with certain immune
deficiencies (e.g., complement) or who have had a bone marrow
transplant
Those who should not
be vaccinated with MCV4 include:
Healthy children under 2 years of age and
adults over 55 years of age
People who have experienced a
severe allergic reaction to any vaccine component or a previous
dose of any meningococcal vaccine
Anyone who is moderately to
severely ill until they have recovered
Pregnant women, unless they are
involved in a meningococcal disease outbreak or are at high risk
Those who have ever been diagnosed
with Guillain-Barré Syndrome
should discuss this vaccine with their primary
health care before receiving MCV4.
Review the
vaccination
schedule for those who start late on a vaccine or are more than one
month behind.
When did the meningococcal vaccines become available?
In 1978, the first meningococcal vaccine was
approved for use in the United States against two types of
meningococcal bacteria. In 1982, the vaccine was further
developed to protect against two more types of meningococcal
bacteria, and the FDA licensed MPSV4. In 2005, a new
meningococcal vaccine, MCV4 (also known as Menactra®) that provides a longer duration
of protection as well as other benefits was approved
for use among people between the ages of 11 and 55 years.
In 2007, MCV4 was FDA-licensed for use in children 2 to 10
years of age. In 2010, a second MCV4 vaccine, Menveo®, was licensed by the FDA for use in people 11 to 55 years of
age.
How does someone become infected with meningococcal
disease??
Meningococcal disease is spread by close personal contact
with an infected person.
How effective is the meningococcal vaccine?
Both MCV4 vaccines are highly effective at
protecting recipients from diseases caused by four types of
meningococcal bacteria (types A, C, Y and W-135). Even
though they don’t protect against meningococcal group B bacteria, they still give those who have been
vaccinated a much higher level of protection against
meningococcal disease.
Are there any serious side effects of the meningococcal
vaccines?
Mild side effects may include:
injection-site soreness
mild fever
fainting within 15 to 20 minutes
of injection in some adolescents
In rare cases, a serious
allergic reaction may occur.
How do I learn more about these vaccines?
The best person to ask about these vaccines or any vaccine
is your child’s pediatrician or your primary health care
provider. Your provider can answer your questions and give
you more information on the meningococcal vaccines.
Immunization is the best thing you can do for your child and yourself to protect against meningococcal disease.
