Total and functional antibody response to a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine among children

Tetravalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine is immunogenic in adult allogeneic BMT recipients

“…[36][37][38] In the present BMT recipients the GMCs of antibodies to Men A and Men C PSs declined sharply over the first 6-12 months after vaccination, in a similar way as anti-capsular and bactericidal antibodies to Neisseria meningitidis group A and especially to group C in young children. [7][8][9] In healthy adolescents and adults anti-Men A and Men C concentrations have persisted for at least 4-10 years after immunization. 35,39,40 Thus, although Men PS vaccine seems to be immunogenic enough to induce a short-lived antibody response in allogeneic BMT recipients, BMT recipients resemble young children in their poor capability to retain Men PS antibody concentrations.…”

“…The proportion of the BMT recipients in the present study, on average 80%, attaining the anti-Men C PS concentration у2 g/ml is slightly higher than the 68% of infants vaccinated with Men PS vaccine at the age of 6-11 months. 9 Men PS vaccine has been recommended to children у6-24 months of age if indicated by, for example, functional or anatomic asplenia or when travelling or residing in countries with hyperendemic or epidemic meningococcal diseases caused by vaccine-preventable serogroup meningococci. 9,41 Many BMT recipients are healthy and working at 8 months after BMT and may want to travel abroad.…”

“…9 Men PS vaccine has been recommended to children у6-24 months of age if indicated by, for example, functional or anatomic asplenia or when travelling or residing in countries with hyperendemic or epidemic meningococcal diseases caused by vaccine-preventable serogroup meningococci. 9,41 Many BMT recipients are healthy and working at 8 months after BMT and may want to travel abroad. In the light of the present results, Men PS vaccine should be given to allogeneic BMT recipients who have survived у8 months after transplantation, if indicated by, for example, travelling, military service or studying and living on a university campus.…”

“…In 1996 in England and Wales 40% of the Men disease cases were caused by serogroup C, 4 and in Finland 13% of 54 cases of the invasive meningococcal diseases in 1998 were of serogroup C. 5 Although Men vaccines containing Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C polysaccharides (PS) have been available for a long time, their routine use has not been recommended, since the vaccines have been poorly immunogenic in infants and toddlers and the immune response to serogroup C has been short-lived in young children. [6][7][8][9] For group B there is no polysaccharide vaccine available due to its poor immunogenicity even in adults.Allogeneic BMT recipients are immunodeficient for months to years after transplantation. [10][11][12][13] The ability to respond to PS antigens matures slowly after BMT, and the responses to vaccinations with pneumococcal PS and Haemophilus influenzae type b PS vaccines have been poor [14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] and the ability of pneumococcal PS vaccine to prevent infections limited.…”

“…In 1996 in England and Wales 40% of the Men disease cases were caused by serogroup C, 4 and in Finland 13% of 54 cases of the invasive meningococcal diseases in 1998 were of serogroup C. 5 Although Men vaccines containing Neisseria meningitidis serogroup A and C polysaccharides (PS) have been available for a long time, their routine use has not been recommended, since the vaccines have been poorly immunogenic in infants and toddlers and the immune response to serogroup C has been short-lived in young children. [6][7][8][9] For group B there is no polysaccharide vaccine available due to its poor immunogenicity even in adults.…”