Vaccination against meningococcal infection

Vaccination against meningococcal infection is a preventive procedure that is carried out to protect against such a dangerous disease as meningococcal meningitis, meningococcemia. For infection, it is enough to be close to the infected, as the pathogen is transmitted by airborne droplets. Meningococcus also causes infection of the lungs, joints, respiratory tract, urinary tract, and eyes. Therefore, vaccination with meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended for all children and adolescents.

What is vaccination?

Vaccination against meningococcal disease is a vaccination with a certain dosage (according to the age of the patient), which helps to prevent the development of this disease in a healthy person. Infection occurs by airborne droplets, the pathogen affects the nasopharynx, and then the membranes of the brain, the infection is generalized. To prevent morbidity, vaccination of children from an early age is recommended. There are two types of drugs for ACWY serotypes: quadrivalent conjugate vaccines (Menactra or Menveo) and serogroup B vaccine (Bexero or Trumenba). The quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine is part of the pediatric vaccination schedule for adolescents, preferably at 11 or 12 years of age, with a booster at 16 years of age. It is also recommended for young children at high risk of infection. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally does not recommend serogroup B meningococcal vaccines for adolescents. However, they may be given on an individual clinical basis to any adolescent between the ages of 16 and 23; the preferred age for vaccination is between 16 and 18 years of age. This is a common procedure that does not require any preparation and is carried out in the office of the attending physician. It is only important to choose a high-quality vaccine and the required dosage. Manipulation is performed by conventional injection.

Features of vaccination

The main feature of vaccination is that the vaccine is selected depending on the age of the patient. Meningococcal conjugate vaccines are recommended for all children and adolescents, and adults who are at increased risk of developing meningococcal disease. There are five serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis that cause most of the world’s meningococcal disease – A, B, C, W and Y. Menactra is the drug of choice for people aged 11 to 55 years, and for people over 55 who have been previously vaccinated. and require revaccination, or for those who may need multiple doses of the vaccine.

When is it necessary to vaccinate?

It is worth emphasizing that for infants and older children, the indications for vaccination are almost the same. Doctors recommend using the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (Menactra or Menveo) for children 2 months to 10 years of age if they:

• have a rare type of disorder (deficiency of complement components);
• take a medicine called Soliris;
• have problems with the spleen;
• have HIV;
• travel or live in countries where the disease is most common;
• belong to a subset of the population identified as “at increased risk” due to a serogroup A, C, W, or Y meningococcal outbreak.

These same factors may also determine whether older children and adults are vaccinated.

When is it undesirable to get vaccinated?

Contraindications and conditions requiring precautionary measures during vaccination are: a severe allergic reaction (eg, anaphylaxis) after a previous dose of the vaccine or to its components. Tell the doctor who gives you or your child the meningococcal vaccine if:

• you or your child has had a life-threatening allergic reaction;
• you had a severe allergic reaction after a previous dose of meningococcal vaccine – a second dose of this vaccine is not allowed;
• you are pregnant or breastfeeding;
• moderate or severe illness with or without fever (vaccination deferred until recovery, if possible).

Conjugate vaccines may be given to pregnant women who are at increased risk of contracting meningococcal serogroups A, C, W, or Y. It is recommended that vaccination against meningococcal serogroup B be delayed during pregnancy. The exception is for women at increased risk of serogroup B disease, when the benefits of vaccination are expected to outweigh the potential risks.

Effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines

Vaccines provide the body with protection against A, C, Y, and W meningococci. Vaccines for adults and children are safe, chemically purified preparations that minimize the risk of adverse reactions and complications. Products are developed in strict accordance with the general technical limitations regarding the production and storage of vaccines. If you have any doubts about whether it is worth getting vaccinated and whether it is safe, then check out the medical statistics. The facts speak for themselves – the two most used vaccines are producing positive results. The following indicators have been collected in studies demonstrating the effectiveness of meningococcal vaccines.

Menactra vaccine for adolescents: 8 to 9 people out of 10 vaccinated had a protective immune response one month after the completion of the vaccination series. The vaccine administered to adults showed slightly lower results: 7 to 9 people out of 10 vaccinated had a protective immune response one month after the completion of the procedures. Menveo vaccine for adolescents: 7 to 9 people out of 10 vaccinated had a positive immune system response. The response in adults showed similar results after vaccine administration. In studies demonstrating the effectiveness of serogroup B meningococcal vaccines – “Bexero” in adolescents and young adults: from 6 to 9 people out of 10 vaccinated showed a protective response of the body to meningococcal infection. The preparation for vaccination “Trumenba” in adolescents and young people showed the following results: 8 people out of 10 vaccinated successfully passed the period of addiction to the drug. Today, this disease is at a historic low.

The mortality rate from meningococcal disease has been declining since the 1990s, with much of the decline occurring prior to the routine use of meningococcal vaccines. In addition, serogroup B infections continued to decline despite the fact that vaccines were not available to protect against it until the end of 2014. Among children aged 11 to 19 years, the rate of meningococcal disease caused by serogroups C, Y and W dropped by 80%. The decrease in infection was observed due to the fact that adolescents received the vaccine in the first place. A similar result was not observed in age groups that did not receive conjugate vaccines. These data indicate that meningococcal conjugate vaccines provide protection for those vaccinated. However, this procedure for certain groups of people will not prevent the spread of infection in a larger, unvaccinated community.

As part of the licensing process, serogroup B meningococcal vaccines have been shown to provide a protective immune response. Despite the limited data on their effectiveness, for a disease as dangerous as meningococcal disease, many people must receive the vaccine before the widespread spread of this infection begins. The information presented suggests that protection against meningococcal disease with conjugate vaccines declines over 5 years in some adolescents, highlighting the importance of booster vaccination at age 16 to maintain protective immunity.

Vaccination against meningococcal infection is considered one of the safest, given that the patient has no contraindications to it. The key to successful vaccination is the quality of the drug itself and the attentiveness of the attending physician, since if unwanted symptoms occur, repeated manipulation must be canceled. The meningococcal vaccine can save you from serious illness and even death. Do not forget that some infections are transmitted by airborne droplets, which greatly increases the likelihood of infection.

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