Meningococcal disease refers to any illness that is caused by Neisseria meningitidis bacteria. There are at least 12 types of N. meningitidis, called “serogroups.” Serogroups A, B, C, W, and Y cause most meningococcal disease. These bacteria live in the back of the nose and the throat without being ill, sometimes the bacteria invade the body and cause certain illnesses, which are known as meningococcal disease and are spread from person to person by sharing respiratory secretions.

Even when it is treated, meningococcal disease kills 10 to 15 infected people out of 100. And of those who survive, about 10 to 20 out of every 100 will suffer disabilities such as hearing loss, brain damage, kidney damage, amputations or nervous system problems.
Anyone can get meningococcal disease but certain people are at increased risk, including:

• Infants younger than one year old.
• Adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years old.
• People with certain medical conditions that affect the immune system.
• Microbiologists who routinely work with isolates of N. meningitidis.
• People at risk because of an outbreak in their community.

MenACWY (Quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine), MenQuadfi^®

The vaccines for meningococcal serogroups A, C, W-135, and Y (known as MenQuadfi^®) contain meningococcal conjugate in which the surface polysaccharide is chemically bonded (“conjugated”) to a protein (tetanus toxoid) to produce a robust immune response to the polysaccharide.

• Individuals 12 months of age and older.
• One single dose (0.5 milliliter) by intramuscularly (there are no data available to indicate the need for or timing of a booster dose).

 

Who should get meningococcal vaccine?

In Thailand, meningococcal disease is not a common disease, the incidence was less than 0.1 case per million people and revealed that the most common serogroup of meningococus found was serogroup B, the serogroup that cannot be protected against by the available MenACWY vaccine. The meningococcal vaccine is recommended to certain groups which are at increased risk for meningococcal disease, including the following: travelers to countries where meningococcal disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, people who participate in the Hajj pilgrimage, United States college students and some European countries, and high risk groups i.e. persons with anatomic or functional asplenia, persons with persistent complement component deficiencies, persons living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) infection, teens living in dorms or boarding school, military recruits, microbiologists routinely exposed to N. meningitidis.

Who should not get meningococcal vaccine or should wait?

• People who have ever had a severe allergic reaction to a previous dose of meningococcal vaccine or any vaccine component should not get another dose of either vaccine.
• Anyone who is moderately or severely ill at the time that the shot is scheduled should probably wait until they recover. Ask your doctor. On the other hand, people with a mild illness can usually get the vaccine.
• Not much is known about the risks of this vaccine to a pregnant woman or breastfeeding mother. However, pregnancy or breastfeeding are not reasons to avoid meningococcal ACWY vaccination. A pregnant or breastfeeding woman should be vaccinated if she is at increased risk of meningococcal disease.

 

What are the risks from meningococcal vaccines?

 

Very common side effects

Headache, muscle pain, tiredness Symptoms such as redness or soreness where the shot was given had been reported. If these problems occur, they usually last for 1 or 2 days.

Rare side effects

Sometimes people faint after a vaccination. Sitting or lying down for about 15 minutes after vaccination can help prevent fainting, and injuries caused by a fall. Some people get severe pain at the injection site and have difficulty moving the arm where a shot was given; this happens very rarely. If you see signs of a severe allergic reaction (hives, swelling of the face and throat, difficulty breathing, a fast heartbeat, or weakness), seek immediate medical attention.

 

Interaction between meningococcal vaccines and other vaccines

Except for children with sickle cell disease or without a working spleen, meningococcal vaccine may be given at the same time as other vaccines.

 

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal vaccination: What everyone should know. Available from: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/public/index.html [Accessed 7 May 2024].
• Mbaeyi SA, Bozio CH, Duffy J, Rubin LG, Hariri S, Stephens DS, MacNeil JR. Meningococcal Vaccination: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2020. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2020 Sep 25;69(9):1-41. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.rr6909a1. PMID: 33417592; PMCID: PMC7527029.
• Thisyakorn U, Carlos J, Chotpitayasunondh T, Dien TM, Gonzales MLAM, Huong NTL, et al. Invasive meningococcal disease in Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, and Vietnam: An Asia-Pacific expert group perspective on current epidemiology and vaccination policies. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics, 2022;18(6).
• Thai Travel Clinic. Meningococcal vaccine. Available from: https://www.thaitravelclinic.com/blog/th/travel-medicine-issue/thai-meningococcal-vaccine.html [Accessed 7 May 2024].
• European Medicines Agency. MenQuadfi: Product information. Available from: https://www.ema.europa.eu/en/documents/product-information/menquadfi-epar-product-information_en.pdf [Accessed 7 May 2024].