Meningococcal Group A, C, W, and Y Tetanus Toxoid Conjugate Vaccine: A Review of Clinical Data in Adolescents

Abstract

MenACWY-TT (Nimenrix) is a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine containing polysaccharides from serogroups A, C, W, and Y conjugated to a tetanus toxoid carrier protein. MenACWY-TT is licensed in some countries as a three-dose primary series in individuals as young as 6 weeks of age and as a single dose in individuals ≥12 months of age. MenACWY-TT use is supported by long-term immunogenicity and safety across age groups, including data from several phase 2, 3, and 4 clinical studies in adolescents and young adults. Adolescents are an important population in the epidemiology, transmission, and prevention of invasive meningococcal disease, with this age-based population having the highest risk for carriage and transmission as well as one of the highest risks of disease. This age group is emerging as a target population in meningococcal vaccination programs globally, as vaccinating adolescents and young adults could potentially not only decrease disease rates directly for those vaccinated but also indirectly for unvaccinated individuals by decreasing carriage and eliciting herd protection. This review will consider available data for MenACWY-TT in adolescents, including safety and immunogenicity, booster and memory responses, persistence, and coadministration with other vaccines, with an emphasis on the rationale for use of MenACWY-TT and other quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines in adolescents to address the changing epidemiology of meningococcal disease.