Safety of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine in infants and toddlers 2 to 23-months old

A Decade of Fighting Invasive Meningococcal Disease: A Narrative Review of Clinical and Real-World Experience with the MenACWY-CRM Conjugate Vaccine

The quadrivalent A, C, W and Y meningococcal vaccine conjugated to nontoxic mutant of diphtheria toxin (MenACWY-CRM) has been licensed since 2010 for the prevention of invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), an uncommon but life-threatening condition. Here, we summarize the experience accrued with MenACWY-CRM during the first decade since its licensure, by providing an overview of clinical trials investigating the safety, immunogenicity and co-administration of MenACWY-CRM with other vaccines as well as presenting real-world evidence regarding the impact of MenACWY-CRM vaccination on carriage and IMD incidence. MenACWY-CRM has demonstrated an acceptable clinical safety profile across a wide range of age groups; no safety concerns have been reported in special populations, such as immunocompromised infants and toddlers, or pregnant women. MenACWY-CRM has also been proven to be immunogenic in various age groups and geographic settings, and a booster dose has been shown to elicit strong anamnestic responses in all studied populations, irrespective of the vaccine used for priming. With no clinically relevant vaccine interactions reported, MenACWY-CRM is being conveniently integrated into existing vaccination programs for various age and risk groups; this possibility of co-administration helps improving vaccine coverage and streamlining the healthcare process of fighting preventable infectious diseases. Vaccination of adolescents and adults has been proven to reduce nasopharyngeal carriage for serogroups C, W and Y, which is an important element in reducing transmission. Real-world evidence indicates that MenACWY-CRM can reduce IMD incidence even in high-exposure groups. When combined with vaccines against serogroup B meningococci, MenACWY-CRM can offer protection against five of the most common serogroups responsible for IMD, which is an important advantage in the continuously evolving landscape of meningococcal serogroup epidemiology.

Invasive meningococcal disease is an uncommon but life-threatening infection that appears as meningitis and/or sepsis. It is caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a bacteria commonly present in the throat or nose. Vaccination with MenACWY-CRM (Menveo, GSK) helps to prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by four of the most common N. meningitidis serogroups (A, C, W and Y). This vaccine has been licensed for 10 years: we summarized here all available evidence gathered since the vaccine has been available in general practice, from clinical development to real-world experience. Information gained during clinical trials of MenACWY-CRM confirms that vaccination is well tolerated, has an acceptable safety profile and would induce significant protection when given to individuals of various ages such as infants, toddlers, children, adolescents and adults, and when administered at the same time as routine or traveler vaccinations as well as vaccines against serogroup B meningococci (4CMenB). Vaccination with MenACWY-CRM has been shown to decrease the number of serogroup C, W and Y meningococci found in the nose and throat in adolescents and adults as well as the occurrence of invasive meningococcal disease in a high-exposure population from a real-world setting. MenACWY-CRM can conveniently be integrated into most of the existing vaccination schedules for various age and risk groups. When combined with vaccination against serogroup B meningococci, MenACWY-CRM can contribute to providing protection against five of the most common serogroups responsible for invasive meningococcal disease.

Real-world evidence of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine safety in the United States: a systematic review

Two quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MenACWY) that prevent invasive meningococcal disease caused by N. meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W have been licensed in the U.S. in the past 10-15 years. We systematically reviewed published studies conducted in the U.S. to evaluate the real-world safety evidence of meningococcal conjugate vaccines. We performed a literature search in PubMed of publications from 01/01/2005 to 02/29/2020 and identified 18 studies meeting inclusion criteria. Populations included high-risk persons aged 2 months to 10 years, adolescents/adults aged ≥11 years, pregnant populations, and hematopoietic cell transplant recipients. We extracted information about study setting, study design, exposure, outcomes, comparison group, follow-up/look back period, study population, sample size, available demographic/indication information, results, key conclusion, and reference. These published studies found no new significant safety concerns related to MenACWY. Consideration for future research includes a post-licensure safety evaluation of a new MenACWY product approved in April 2020.

Meningococcal Vaccination: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2020

This report compiles and summarizes all recommendations from CDC's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) for use of meningococcal vaccines in the United States. As a comprehensive summary and update of previously published recommendations, it replaces all previously published reports and policy notes. This report also contains new recommendations for administration of booster doses of serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccine for persons at increased risk for serogroup B meningococcal disease. These guidelines will be updated as needed on the basis of availability of new data or licensure of new meningococcal vaccines. ACIP recommends routine vaccination with a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MenACWY) for adolescents aged 11 or 12 years, with a booster dose at age 16 years. ACIP also recommends routine vaccination with MenACWY for persons aged ≥2 months at increased risk for meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, W, or Y, including persons who have persistent complement component deficiencies; persons receiving a complement inhibitor (e.g., eculizumab [Soliris] or ravulizumab [Ultomiris]); persons who have anatomic or functional asplenia; persons with human immunodeficiency virus infection; microbiologists routinely exposed to isolates of Neisseria meningitidis; persons identified to be at increased risk because of a meningococcal disease outbreak caused by serogroups A, C, W, or Y; persons who travel to or live in areas in which meningococcal disease is hyperendemic or epidemic; unvaccinated or incompletely vaccinated first-year college students living in residence halls; and military recruits. ACIP recommends MenACWY booster doses for previously vaccinated persons who become or remain at increased risk.In addition, ACIP recommends routine use of MenB vaccine series among persons aged ≥10 years who are at increased risk for serogroup B meningococcal disease, including persons who have persistent complement component deficiencies; persons receiving a complement inhibitor; persons who have anatomic or functional asplenia; microbiologists who are routinely exposed to isolates of N. meningitidis; and persons identified to be at increased risk because of a meningococcal disease outbreak caused by serogroup B. ACIP recommends MenB booster doses for previously vaccinated persons who become or remain at increased risk. In addition, ACIP recommends a MenB series for adolescents and young adults aged 16-23 years on the basis of shared clinical decision-making to provide short-term protection against disease caused by most strains of serogroup B N. meningitidis.