Report reveals that two licensed meningococcal conjugate vaccines likely interchangeable
THURSDAY, Aug. 4 (HealthDay News) -- MenACWY-CRM (Menveo, Novartis Vaccines and Diagnostics), a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, appears to be safe and effective for use with the recently extended age indication, and is interchangeable with the other licensed meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY-D (Menactra, Sanofi Pasteur), according to a report in the Aug. 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
The Food and Drug Administration lowered the approval age range for use of MenACWY-CRM to include individuals aged 2 through 55 years. Another quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, MenACWY-D, is approved in the United States for prevention of meningococcal disease caused by serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 among those aged 2 through 55 years. MenACWY-D is also approved as a two-dose series among children aged 9 to 23 months.
The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends that individuals aged 2 to 55 years, at an elevated risk for meningococcal disease, and all adolescents aged 11 to 18 years be immunized with meningococcal conjugate vaccine. In addition, the ACIP recommends that all adolescents receive a booster dose of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine at 16 years of age.
"At this time, no data exist on the use of MenACWY-D following primary vaccination with MenACWY-CRM," the authors write. "Health care providers should use every opportunity to provide the booster dose when indicated, regardless of the vaccine brand used for the previous dose or doses."
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