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July 2002 • Volume 13 • Number 3

 

 

Vaccines for the prevention of meningococcal disease in children

Neisseria meningitidis is one of the most feared infections in pediatrics as the result of its rapid progression, high fatality rate, and frequent occurrence of sequelae. The 5 major meningococcal serogroups associated with disease are A, B, C, Y, and W-135. Currently available polysaccharide vaccines are effective in preventing disease caused by serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 in older children and adults but do not elicit good long-term protection in young children. Vaccines that protect against serogroup B disease are still in development. As with the Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines, conjugation of the polysaccharide vaccine to a protein carrier dramatically changes vaccine characteristics, with resulting efficacy in infants. New meningococcal conjugate vaccines against serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 are being developed. A serogroup C conjugate vaccine has been introduced successfully into the routine childhood schedule in the United Kingdom. New meningococcal conjugate vaccines are likely to have a dramatic effect on the burden of meningococcal disease within the next decade.
Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.

 

• From the ¹Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, and ²Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre (South West), Public Health Laboratory, Gloucestershire Royal Hospital, Gloucestershire, UK.
   
• Address correspondence to Montse Soriano-Gabarró, MD, MSc, Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-09, Atlanta, GA 30333, e-mail: zzd7@cdc.gov .
   
• Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
   
• 1045-1870/02/1303-0008$35.00/0
   
• doi:10.1053/spid.2002.125861

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