(Journal of Adolescent Health, 07/22/2016)
Baker CJ – Current review emphasis on the available meningococcal vaccines, recommendations, previous experiences, and future considerations about meningococcal disease in the United States. Neisseria meningitidis is a common cause of bacterial meningitis and septicemia that can lead to permanent sequelae or death.
- Based on the composition of the capsular polysaccharide, N meningitidis is classified into serogroups.
- And the serogroups A, B, C, W, X, and Y recognized as the major disease-causing organisms.
- This unpredictable infection had very poor prognosis in some patients.
- For this immunization was suggested as an effective preventive strategy.
- Mainly, 4 out of 6 disease-causing serogroups (A, C, Y, and W) might be prevented with available quadrivalent capsular polysaccharide–protein conjugate vaccines.
- These vaccines had been successfully implemented into immunization programs in the United States.
- But unfortunately, quadrivalent conjugate vaccines are not efficient against serogroup B, which is now the most common cause of invasive meningococcal disease.
- For prevention of serogroup B disease, 2 recombinant protein vaccines were recently licensed.
- The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, recommended to utilized these serogroup B vaccines in the United States.
(Journal of Adolescent Health, 07/22/2016)