Meningococcal Vaccine Research Articles

Vaccine practices, literacy, and hesitancy among parents in the United Arab Emirates.

Immunisation is one of public health's greatest success stories, yet, annually, 20 million children miss out entirely or partially on routine immunisation. National immunisation estimates have the United Arab Emirates (UAE) lagging behind with 4% of children under the age of 1 not having received any vaccines. Vaccine hesitancy is considered one of the biggest barriers to vaccination. This study aims to evaluate the UAE's parents' vaccination attitudes and practices as well as estimate vaccine hesitancy's prevalence and determinants. This cross-sectional, descriptive study collected data from parents across the UAE during the months of March and April 2024. The 60-item questionnaire included the Parental Attitudes towards Childhood Vaccines scale (PACV), the Vaccine Hesitancy Scale, and the Digital Vaccine Literacy (DVL) scale. Univariate, bivariate (chi-squared test), and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses were conducted. A total of 550 responses were retained. 84.55% of participants were female (n = 465/550), half were middle-aged (31-45 years old), and 21.09% (n = 116/550) were healthcare workers. 94.36% (n = 519/550) had their child/children receive all mandated vaccines. Only 39.82% (n = 219/550) found their level of knowledge about childhood vaccinations to be good/excellent. 70.11% (n = 386/550) of participants had high digital vaccine literacy. More than 95% had positive attitudes towards measles, meningitis, and pertussis vaccines. 14.00% (n = 77/550) were identified as vaccine-hesitant according to the PACV. Overall, using general practitioner/ paediatrician as a knowledge source, digital vaccine literacy, perceived children's vaccine knowledge, and nationality were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy status. Vaccine hesitancy exists and is prevalent in the UAE; however, the majority of participants reported high trust in vaccines, the local healthcare systems and physicians. Vaccine hesitancy can be tackled but will require tailored solutions and proactive healthcare workers.

National Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 13-17 Years - National Immunization Survey-Teen, United States, 2023.

Based on safety and efficacy data, vaccinations are the best defense to protect persons and communities from serious vaccine-preventable diseases. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends routine vaccination of adolescents aged 11-12 years with three vaccines including tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis vaccine; quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine; and human papillomavirus vaccine. CDC analyzed data from the 2023 National Immunization Survey-Teen for 16,658 adolescents aged 13-17 years (born during January 2005-December 2010) to assess vaccination coverage in 2023, recent trends in coverage by birth year, and trends in coverage by eligibility for the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program and birth year. In 2023, coverage with all routine vaccines recommended for adolescents was similar to coverage in 2022. Vaccination coverage among VFC-eligible adolescents was generally stable during the COVID-19 pandemic, except for a decrease in the percentage of VFC-eligible adolescents who were up to date with HPV vaccination by age 13 years among those born in 2010 compared with those born in 2007. Whereas coverage differences were found between VFC-eligible and non-VFC-eligible adolescents before the COVID-19 pandemic, coverage was similar among the most recent birth years in the survey. Providers should make strong recommendations for all routine vaccines and review adolescent vaccination records to verify if adolescents are up to date with all recommended vaccines.

A Phase 1/2a Study Evaluating Safety and Immunogenicity of Ad26.RSV.preF in RSV-seronegative Toddlers Aged 12-24 Months.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes serious illness in children. The Ad26.RSV.preF vaccine candidate was immunogenic with acceptable safety in a phase 1/2a study of RSV-seropositive children. Here, we assessed its safety and immunogenicity in RSV-seronegative children. In this randomized, observer-blinded, placebo-controlled, phase 1/2a study (NCT03606512; https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03606512), RSV-seronegative toddlers aged 12-24 months received Ad26.RSV.preF (2.5 × 1010 viral particles) or placebo on days 1, 29, and 57 (a meningococcal vaccine [Nimenrix] could substitute for day 57 placebo). Primary endpoints were solicited local and systemic adverse events (AEs; 7 days after each vaccination), unsolicited AEs (28 days postvaccination), and serious AEs (first vaccination until study end). Participants were monitored for RSV-respiratory tract infection to assess infection rates and for severe RSV-lower respiratory tract infection as an indication of enhanced disease. RSV-A2 neutralizing, RSV (A and B) preF binding, and RSV postF immunoglobulin G-binding antibodies were evaluated on days 1 (predose), 8, and 85, and after RSV season 1. Thirty-eight participants were enrolled and vaccinated (Ad26.RSV.preF, n = 20; placebo, placebo/Nimenrix, n = 18). Solicited AEs were more common following Ad26.RSV.preF than placebo; most were mild/moderate. No vaccine-related serious AEs were reported. Five of 19 participants receiving Ad26.RSV.preF and 2/18 receiving placebo or placebo/Nimenrix had confirmed RSV-respiratory tract infection or RSV-associated otitis media; none were considered severe. At the final season 1 study visit, most Ad26.RSV.preF recipients had ≥2-fold increases from baseline in RSV-A2 neutralizing, RSV A and B preF binding, and RSV postF antibodies. Ad26.RSV.preF was well tolerated and immunogenic in RSV-seronegative toddlers.

A randomized study to evaluate the safety and immunogenicity of a pentavalent meningococcal vaccine

A randomized, active-controlled, double-blind, first-in-human, phase 1 study was conducted in healthy Korean adults to evaluate the safety, tolerability, and immunogenicity of EuNmCV-5, a new pentavalent meningococcal vaccine targeting serogroups A, C, W, X, and Y. Sixty participants randomly received a single dose of either EuNmCV-5 or MenACWY-CRM, a quadrivalent vaccine containing serogroups A, C, W, and Y. Safety was assessed through monitoring anaphylactic reactions, adverse events for 28 days, and serious adverse events over 180 days. Immunogenicity was assessed via rabbit complement-dependent serum bactericidal antibody (rSBA) assay. EuNmCV-5 was safe, well-tolerated, and elicited a substantial antibody titer increase. The seroprotection rates exceeded 96.7%, and the seroconversion rates were over 85% for all the targeted serogroups. It showed higher seroconversion rates against serogroups A and C (p = 0.0016 and 0.0237, respectively) and elicited a substantial increase in GMT for all targeted serogroups compared to the MenACWY-CRM.ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05739292.

Prevention of Meningococcal Disease: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices of General Practitioners and Primary Care Pediatricians in South Italy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the knowledge, attitude, and current practices about prevention of meningococcal disease among general practitioners (GPs) and primary care pediatricians (PCPs) in Italy. A cross-sectional survey was carried out between February 2022 and July 2023 among a random sample of GPs and PCPs in Southern Italy. The data were collected using a questionnaire accessible via an internet link with the free software Google Forms®. Regarding the participants' knowledge toward meningococcal vaccinations, 84.2% of the PCPs and more than half of the GPs (55.2%) knew that the meningococcal B (MenB) vaccination is recommended for infants from the second month of life and 84.2% and 82.7% of the PCPs were aware that quadrivalent meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) vaccine is recommended for children in the second year of life and adolescents, respectively. The GPs and PCPs considered vaccination against meningococcal disease to be very effective and safe with average values of 8.8 and 8.7, respectively, on a scale ranging from 1 to 10. Those with an older age, those who knew the medical conditions that expose patients to a higher risk of contracting meningococcal disease, and those who self-rated their knowledge on meningococcal disease as excellent/very good were more likely to consider the vaccination to be very effective and safe. Only 15.5% of the GPs and more than half of the PCPs (54.3%) administered anti-meningococcal vaccines to their patients. GPs and females were less likely to administer anti-meningococcal vaccines to their patients, whereas those who acquired information on meningococcal vaccinations by scientific journals were more likely to administer meningococcal vaccines. The findings of the survey highlighted the need of a greater engagement of GPs and PCPs in the immunization campaigns in order to increase meningococcal vaccination coverage.

Characterization of Turbo, a TLR Ligand-based Adjuvant for Glycoconjugate Vaccines.

Many bacterial polysaccharide vaccines, including the typhoid Vi polysaccharide (ViPS) and tetravalent meningococcal polysaccharide conjugate (MCV4) vaccines, do not incorporate adjuvants and are not highly immunogenic, particularly in infants. I found that endotoxin, a TLR4 ligand in ViPS, contributes to the immunogenicity of typhoid vaccines. Because endotoxin is pyrogenic, and its levels are highly variable in vaccines, I developed monophosphoryl lipid A, a nontoxic TLR4 ligand-based adjuvant named Turbo. Admixing Turbo with ViPS and MCV4 vaccines improved their immunogenicity across all ages and eliminated booster requirement. To understand the characteristics of this adjuvanticity, I compared Turbo with alum. Unlike alum, which polarizes the response toward the IgG1 isotype, Turbo promoted Ab class switching to all IgG isotypes with affinity maturation; the magnitude of this IgG response is durable and accompanied by the presence of long-lived plasma cells in the mouse bone marrow. In striking contrast with the pathways employed by alum, Turbo adjuvanticity is independent of NLPR3, pyroptotic cell death effector Gasdermin D, and canonical and noncanonical inflammasome activation mediated by Caspase-1 and Caspase-11, respectively. Turbo adjuvanticity is primarily dependent on the MyD88 axis and is lost in mice deficient in costimulatory molecules CD86 and CD40, indicating that Turbo adjuvanticity includes activation of these pathways. Because Turbo formulations containing either monophosphoryl lipid A or TLR2 ligands, Pam2CysSerLys4, and Pam3CysSerLys4 help generate Ab response of all IgG isotypes, as an adjuvant Turbo can improve the immunogenicity of glycoconjugate vaccines against a wide range of bacterial pathogens whose elimination requires appropriate IgG isotypes.

Quantifying Stated Preferences for Meningococcal Vaccines Among Adolescents/Young Adults and Parents of Adolescents in the United States: A Discrete Choice Experiment.

Invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is a severe and life-threatening disease. In the United States (US), vaccine coverage with MenACWY and MenB meningococcal vaccines is suboptimal among adolescents/young adults aged 16-23years. A combined meningococcal vaccine (MenABCWY) could increase convenience (e.g., fewer injections) and improve coverage. The objective was to quantify preferences for hypothetical meningococcal vaccine profiles among adolescents/young adults and parents. An online discrete choice experiment was conducted among 16- to 23-year-olds, and parents of 16- to 18-year-olds. Attributes (3×4) and levels (1×2) were based on the literature and focus groups. Participants made ten pair-wise forced trade-off choices, systematically varied using a D-optimal design. Random parameter logit quantified the relative importance of vaccination attributes and estimated the trade-offs. Differences in preferences by subgroups were assessed. Totals of 300 adolescents and young adults (median age 20years) and 300 parents (median age 46years) completed the survey. Overall, 89.6% of 16- to 23-year-olds and 69.1% of parents preferred a simplified hypothetical meningococcal vaccination profile, e.g., with fewer injections (3 vs. 4) and fewer healthcare provider (HCP) visits (2-3 vs. 4). Having HCP advice and clear Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations impacted vaccination choice, with both groups reporting high trust in HCP information (83.3% among 16- to 23-year-olds; 98.7% among parents). Barriers to vaccination included lack of HCP advice or awareness of meningococcal vaccines, and income level and out-of-pocket costs for parents. Adolescents/young adults and parents demonstrated a significant preference for a meningococcal vaccine that is more convenient (such as combined MenABCWY). Parents' vaccination preferences differed by income level and out-of-pocket costs, suggesting financial barriers to vaccination may exist which could result in IMD prevention inequalities. Findings from this study provide important information to support patient-facing informed policy discussions. A simplified vaccination schedule and strong recommendation could help improve vaccine uptake, schedule compliance, disease prevention, and reduce inequalities in IMD risk and prevention. A graphical abstract is available with this article.

Childhood vaccination among Polish immigrants in Norway: a qualitative study

BackgroundConfidence in childhood vaccination is high in Norway and the Norwegian Childhood Immunization Programme (NCIP) achieves high overall coverage rates. However, lower coverage has been observed for some immigrant groups, including Polish immigrants who represent the largest immigrant group in Norway. Anti-vaccine sentiments and increased refusal of mandatory childhood vaccination has been on the rise in Poland, but it is unknown whether such attitudes also apply to Polish immigrants in Norway, as they experience a different vaccination policy and perhaps also different attitudes to vaccines. This qualitative study aims to explore attitudes towards childhood vaccination in Norway among Polish immigrants.MethodsWe interviewed 15 Polish parents living in Norway in 2022. We recruited the participants by purposive sampling and analyzed the interviews by reflexive thematic analysis.ResultsThree themes were identified: views of childhood vaccination, vaccine hesitancy, and differences in childhood vaccination between Poland and Norway. Overall, the participants favored childhood vaccination and viewed most of the vaccines included in the NCIP as safe and reliable. Human papilloma virus, meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines were declined by some of the parents. Comparisons of childhood vaccination in Poland and Norway was evident in many of the interviews, especially among parents whose children had received vaccines in both countries. The participants were well acquainted with the NCIP, favored voluntary childhood vaccination, and the majority expressed a high level of trust in Norwegian health authorities.ConclusionsPolish immigrants to Norway generally expressed positive views about childhood vaccination. Non-vaccination was related to lack of knowledge and/or unfamiliarity with certain vaccines and not with anti-vaccine sentiments or conspiracy theories. The study highlights how parents’ knowledge, in combination with norms and trends from both birth country and country of residence, influence parents’ decision making about vaccination.

The Impact of Lebrikizumab on Vaccine-Induced Immune Responses: Results from a Phase3 Study in Adult Patients with Moderate-to-Severe Atopic Dermatitis.

Lebrikizumab, a high-affinity IgG4 monoclonal antibody that selectively inhibits interleukin-13 with high binding affinity and slow dissociation rate, prevents the formation of the interleukin-4Rα/interleukin-13Rα1heterodimer receptor signaling complex. Here we report the impact of lebrikizumab on responses to two non-live vaccines in adult patients with moderate-to-severe atopic dermatitis (AD). ADopt-VA (NCT04626297) was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, 16-week, phase3 randomized study to assess the impact of lebrikizumab treatment on non-live vaccine immune responses, and efficacy and safety of lebrikizumab compared with placebo. Eligible patients included adults from 18 to 55years of age with moderate-to-severe chronic AD who were randomly assigned 1:1 to lebrikizumab 250mg every 2weeks or placebo and stratified according to disease severity. The primary endpoints were the development of a booster response to tetanus toxoid and a positive antibody response to meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV), 4weeks after administration of the corresponding vaccine. At week16, 73.6% of patients in the lebrikizumab group (n = 78/106) achieved Tdap booster response compared with 73.4% of patients in the placebo group (n = 58/79). MCV vaccine response was observed in 86.9% of patients in the lebrikizumab group (n = 86/99) and 75.0% of patients in the placebo group (n = 60/80). At week16, IGA0,1 with ≥ 2-point improvement from baseline was achieved by 40.6% (n = 51/125) of patients treated with lebrikizumab and 18.9% (n = 23/122) of patients who received placebo (p < 0.001). There was a higher proportion of patients achieving EASI75 at week16 in the lebrikizumab-treated patients (58.0%, n = 72/125) compared with placebo (32.7%, n = 40/122, p < 0.001). Treatment with lebrikizumab did not impact response to non-live vaccines Tdap and MCV in this study. Lebrikizumab treatment had a significant degree of efficacy compared to placebo across multiple endpoints. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT04626297.

Capturing the Value of Vaccination within Health Technology Assessment and Health Economics-Practical Considerations for Expanding Valuation by Including Key Concepts.

Following the development of a value of vaccination (VoV) framework for health technology assessment/cost-effectiveness analysis (HTA/CEA), and identification of three vaccination benefits for near-term inclusion in HTA/CEA, this final paper provides decision makers with methods and examples to consider benefits of health systems strengthening (HSS), equity, and macroeconomic gains. Expert working groups, targeted literature reviews, and case studies were used. Opportunity cost methods were applied for HSS benefits of rotavirus vaccination. Vaccination, with HSS benefits included, reduced the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) by 1.4-50.5% (to GBP 11,552-GBP 23,016) depending on alternative conditions considered. Distributional CEA was applied for health equity benefits of meningococcal vaccination. Nearly 80% of prevented cases were among the three most deprived groups. Vaccination, with equity benefits included, reduced the ICER by 22-56% (to GBP 7014-GBP 12,460), depending on equity parameters. Macroeconomic models may inform HTA deliberative processes (e.g., disease impact on the labour force and the wider economy), or macroeconomic outcomes may be assessed for individuals in CEAs (e.g., impact on non-health consumption, leisure time, and income). These case studies show how to assess broader vaccination benefits in current HTA/CEA, providing decision makers with more accurate and complete VoV assessments. More work is needed to refine inputs and methods, especially for macroeconomic gains.

Maternal skepticism regarding children's vaccination in Jordan: Investigating the knowledge, attitude, and adherence.

Vaccination is critical to every responsible healthcare system, yielding several health and economic benefits. However, skepticism is a major challenge to vaccination adherence among parents globally. Mothers are primary decision-makers on children's vaccination; therefore, this study aims to assess maternal knowledge, attitudes, and adherence to children's routine vaccination in Jordan, identify the main sources of related information, and explore the awareness and hesitancy related to elective vaccination, which is not incorporated into the national vaccination program (e.g., varicella, flu, meningitis, and meningococcal vaccines). A descriptive, cross-sectional design was conducted to collect data from 533 Jordanian mothers between August and November 2023. Participant mothers completed an online self-administered questionnaire comprising demographics, knowledge, attitudes, and adherence to children's vaccination. The surveyed mothers in general exhibited high levels of knowledge, attitudes, and adherence concerning children's vaccination and a relatively moderate level of adherence concerning elective vaccines. The mothers' perspectives of reluctance towards elective vaccines were explored. The primary healthcare center and physicians were the most prevalent sources of mothers' vaccine-related information. Future efforts should implement tailored health education campaigns that address specific knowledge gaps, such as misconceptions about contraindications and side effects, promote awareness about elective vaccines, and engage healthcare providers to facilitate informed decision-making among Jordanian mothers and improve children's vaccination coverage.

Serogroup B Protein Meningococcal Vaccines and the Formation of Immune Protection against Gonorrhea

Relevance. Gonorrhea is a widespread infection. More than 80 million cases of this disease occur annually. The problem is compounded by the growing resistance of gonococcus to antibiotics worldwide. The only way out in this situation may be the immunization of certain groups of the population against this infection. Despite the numerous efforts of specialists, there is currently no registered vaccine against gonorrhea, which is due to the characteristics of the pathogen. However, over the past 30 years, reliable observations have accumulated that vaccines containing N. meningititidis serogroup B outer membrane proteins (OMP), developed for prophylaxis meningococcal infection, can also prevent a significant proportion of gonorrhea cases. Aims. To give a brief overview of publications on the reduction of the incidence of gonorrhea in individuals who received vaccines containing N. meningitidis serogroup B outer membrane vesicles, followed by an analysis of information about the nature of these proteins and methods of their study, as a promising platform for creating a vaccine against gonococcus. Conclusions. There is a theoretical and real possibility of creating a preventive drug against gonorrhea. Our analysis of literature sources showed that during the period 2006–2016 from 31% to 59% of those vaccinated with the protein meningococcal vaccine В were protected from gonorrhea. It is necessary to continue studying meningococcal OMV in terms of their preventive properties against gonorrhea, improve the set of models to identify their protective effect, and find adjuvants that enhance the immunogenicity of potential vaccine candidates.

Evaluation of candidate International Standards for meningococcal capsular polysaccharide groups W and Y

Two candidate International Standards for meningococcal capsular group W and Y (MenW and MenY, respectively) polysaccharides were assessed for their suitability as quantitative standards in various physicochemical assays. The study was designed to evaluate the intended purpose of these standards, namely, to standardize the quantification of the respective polysaccharide content in meningococcal polysaccharide and conjugate vaccines and their intermediate components. Twelve laboratories from eleven different countries participated in the collaborative study of candidate preparations for International Standards for MenW and MenY polysaccharide (coded 16/152 and 16/206, respectively). Unitage was assigned using the Resorcinol assay. Our proposals, on the basis of data from the Resorcinol assay were: 1) candidate standard for MenW polysaccharide (16/152) to be assigned a content of 1.015 ± 0.071 mg MenW polysaccharide per ampoule (expanded uncertainty with coverage factor k = 2.13, corresponding to a 95 % level of confidence) and 2) candidate standard for MenY polysaccharide (16/206) be assigned a content of 0.958 ± 0.076 mg MenY polysaccharide per ampoule (expanded uncertainty with coverage factor k = 2.26, corresponding to a 95 % level of confidence). The amount of polysaccharide per ampoule remained consistent under all stability conditions over a 36-month period.

The impact of regional disparities on the availability of meningococcal vaccines in the US

BackgroundIn the United States (US), three types of vaccines are available to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD), a severe and potentially fatal infection: quadrivalent conjugate vaccines against serogroups A, C, W, Y (MenACWY), and monovalent vaccines against serogroup B (MenB) as well as a newly licensed pentavalent vaccine (MenABCWY) protecting against serogroup A, B, C, W, and Y. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) routinely recommends MenACWY vaccine for all 11- to 12-year-olds with a booster dose at 16 years. MenB vaccination is recommended based on shared clinical decision-making (SCDM) for 16- to 23-year-olds. Recently, the pentavalent meningococcal vaccine (MenABCWY) was recommended by the ACIP. Meningococcal vaccine uptake is suboptimal across the country, particularly among individuals with lower socioeconomic status (SES), despite these recommendations. The objective of the spatial analyses was to assess the relationship between stocking of MenACWY and MenB vaccines, area-level SES, and state-level policies.MethodsThe number of MenACWY and MenB doses stocked by vaccinators was obtained from IQVIA and the CDC’s Vaccine for Children (VFC) program and compiled into a county-level dataset from 2016 to 2019. SES, as measured using the CDC’s Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), state-level school recommendations, and universal purchasing programs were among the main county-level covariates included to control for factors likely influencing stocking. Data were stratified by public and private market. Bayesian spatial regression models were developed to quantify the variations in rates of stocking and the relative rates of stocking of both vaccines.ResultsAfter accounting for county-level characteristics, lower SES counties tended to have fewer doses of MenB relative to MenACWY on both public and private markets. Lower SES counties tended to have more supply of public vs. private doses. Universal purchasing programs had a strong effect on the markets for both vaccines shifting nearly all doses to the public market. School vaccination strategy was key for improving stocking rates.ConclusionsOverall, the results show that MenACWY has greater stock relative to MenB across the US. This difference is exacerbated in vulnerable areas without school entry requirements for vaccination and results in inequity of vaccine availability. Beyond state-level policy and SES differences, SCDM recommendations may be a contributing factor, although this was not directly assessed by our model.

Enhanced Timeliness and Co-Administration of Meningitis B Vaccination in Children: Impact of Funding in Valencian Community, Spain.

Public funding of vaccines may enhance vaccination rates, co-administration, and timeliness. The impacts of including the serogroup B meningococcus vaccine (MenB) into the national immunisation schedule on vaccination rates, co-administration rates, and timeliness were assessed using a population-based pre-funding (2022) and post-funding (2023) study design. MenB vaccination rates improved after funding and were in line with previously funded vaccines. Co-administration rates also increased significantly. Timely administration increased, protecting children at an early age. Public funding has a positive impact on vaccine accessibility and early protection. Consistent population characteristics highlight the role of funding.

A phase 3 non-inferiority trial of locally manufactured Meningococcal ACWY vaccine ‘Ingovax ACWY’ among Bangladeshi adults

Meningococcal disease is caused by Neisseria meningitidis or meningococcus. Every year globally around 1.2 million people are affected and approximately 120,000 deaths occur due to meningitis. The disease can be prevented by a single dose of meningococcal vaccine. We carried out a randomized observer-blinded non-inferiority trial to evaluate and compare the immunogenicity and safety of a local meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine ‘Ingovax ACWY’ (test) with Quadri MeningoTM (comparator), an approved meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine in India. A total of 88 healthy adults (18-45 years old) were randomized at a 1:1 ratio in two vaccine groups receiving a single dose vaccine subcutaneously. All participants were followed until three months post-vaccination. Blood for clinical parameters (hematology and biochemistry) and serum bactericidal assay (SBA) was collected prior to vaccination and one-month post-vaccination. Solicited adverse events (AEs) were assessed up to 6 days following vaccination and unsolicited AEs were monitored throughout the follow-up period.There was no significant difference in rates of AE between the two groups. The commonest solicited AE was injection site pain. No serious AEs were reported. There was no significant difference (p<0.05) in seroconversion rate as well as pre and post-vaccination SBA geometric mean titers (GMT)between test and comparator vaccine. The post-vaccination GMT ratio (GMR) of the test and comparator vaccine was found to be 0.9, 1, 1.29, and 0.85 for serogroup A, C, W135, and Y respectively. For all the serogroups, lower limit of 95% CI of the GMR was found to be greater than the pre-defined 0.5 non-inferiority margin suggesting that Ingovax ACWY is similar to Quadri MeningoTM vaccine.We observed the immunogenicity and safety of Ingovax ACWY is non-inferior to comparator vaccine. The development of facilities for manufacturing polysaccharide ACWY vaccines locally will further lead to capacity building in the field of vaccines for Bangladesh.

Effectiveness of quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine against meningococcal carriage and genotype character changes: A secondary analysis of prospective cohort study in Korean military trainees

ObjectiveWe evaluated the changes and molecular epidemiology of meningococcal carriage in military recruits after quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccines (MenACWY) vaccination. MethodsOropharyngeal swabs were obtained at the beginning and end of the 5-week training. Carriage rates before and after vaccination were compared to estimate vaccine effectiveness (VE). Cultured isolates were characterized by multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). ResultsOf 866 vaccinated participants, the overall carriage rate was 10.6% prior to MenACWY vaccination and it tended to decrease to 9.5% after 5 weeks of vaccination (P = 0.424). Carriage rate of serogroup ACWY decreased significantly after vaccination (VEACWY = 72.6%, 95% CI: 36.3-88.2), and serogroup C was particularly reduced (VEC = 83.0%, 95% CI: 50.6-94.1), whereas non-groupable isolates increased significantly after vaccination (VENG = -76.1%, 95% CI: -176.2 to -13.1). Among 99 carriage isolates with complete MLST profiles, 45 different sequence types with nine clonal complexes (CCs) were identified, and 35.3% of the carriage isolates belonged to hypervirulent strains such as CC-32, CC-41/44, and CC-269. ConclusionsMenACWY vaccination in military recruits led to reduced carriage rates of serogroups C, W, and Y within a short 5-week period. However, serogroup B isolates belonging to the hypervirulent lineage remained after the implementation of MenACWY vaccination.

Antigenic determinants driving serogroup-specific antibody response to Neisseria meningitidis C, W, and Y capsular polysaccharides: Insights for rational vaccine design

Meningococcal glycoconjugate vaccines sourced from capsular polysaccharides (CPSs) of pathogenic Neisseria meningitidis strains are well-established measures to prevent meningococcal disease. However, the exact structural factors responsible for antibody recognition are not known.CPSs of Neisseria meningitidis serogroups Y and W differ by a single stereochemical center, yet they evoke specific immune responses. Herein, we developed specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting serogroups C, Y, and W and evaluated their ability to kill bacteria. We then used these mAbs to dissect structural elements responsible for carbohydrate-protein interactions. First, Men oligosaccharides were screened against the mAbs using ELISA to select putative lengths representing the minimal antigenic determinant. Next, molecular interaction features between the mAbs and serogroup-specific sugar fragments were elucidated using STD-NMR. Moreover, X-ray diffraction data with the anti-MenW CPS mAb enabled the elucidation of the sugar-antibody binding mode.Our findings revealed common traits in the epitopes of all three sialylated serogroups. The minimal binding epitopes typically comprise five to six repeating units. Moreover, the O-acetylation of the neuraminic acid moieties was fundamental for mAb binding.These insights hold promise for the rational design of optimized meningococcal oligosaccharides, opening new avenues for novel production methods, including chemical or enzymatic approaches.

Peramalan Jumlah Permintaan Vaksin Meningitis di KKP Kelas I Surabaya (Menggunakan Metode Single Moving Average)

Meningococcal meningitis is an acute inflammatory infection of the lining of the brain and spinal cord caused by the bacteria Neisseria meningitides. This disease can cause brain damage with a case fatality of 50% if not treated quickly. One effort to prevent the transmission of meningitis is to administer the meningococcal meningitis vaccine, which is an absolute requirement for all prospective Hajj and Umrah pilgrims. This research was conducted from September to December 2023 using secondary data, namely KKP Class I Surabaya annual report data for 2013-2022. The method used in this research is quantitative forecasting with the forecasting carried out is Simple Moving Average using RStudio software. The forecast results for meningitis vaccination demand for 2023-2026 using the 4-year SMA method are 31,768.50, this value is smaller than the 2013-2019 vaccine demand, the results of this forecast have an MSE value of 36,048,718.225. This result can still be tolerated and is used by the Surabaya Class I Port Health Office (KKP) to reduce the number of vaccines in stock so as not to stock too much meningitis vaccine.

The Impact of Infant Bacille Calmette-Guérin Vaccination on the Immunogenicity of Other Vaccines: A Randomized Exploratory Study.

The effect of the Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine on the immunogenicity of separately administered serogroup C meningococcal vaccine and other vaccinations was examined in 28 infants randomized to receive BCG at age ≤7 days, at 3 months or after study completion. Immunogenicity of the serogroup C meningococcal vaccine and other routine vaccines might be improved when BCG is administered in early infancy.