Meningococcal disease, caused by the bacterium Neisseria meningitidis, is a devastating and often fatal infection that can strike quickly and without warning. The highest rates of disease are seen in infants and adolescents, and the disease occurs worldwide. A vaccine for adolescents, MCV4 (MenACWY-D, Menactra®), became available in 2005 and was quickly recommended for all adolescents starting at age 11 years. In late 2007, the FDA approved this vaccine for use in children as young as age 2, but it is recommended only for young children who are at high risk for the disease. Unfortunately, the vaccine is not effective in infants and toddlers.
Research published in January 2008 shows that a vaccine under development by Novartis (MenACWY-CRM or Menveo®) is safe and effective in infants. The vaccine was given along with the other routine infant vaccines. The vaccine covers types A, C, W-135 and Y, as does the vaccine for adolescents. It is based on a type-C vaccine by Novartis (Menjugate®) that is already used in other countries in infants since 2000 and has been shown to be very effective. Novartis plans to seek FDA approval for the vaccine in 2008.
The vaccine promises to reduce the threat of this disease in infants and toddlers. More research will be needed on safety and cost-effectiveness and whether the benefits outweigh the risks of the vaccine. Unfortunately, there is still no effective disease against type-B, which causes up to half of cases in infants; efforts are underway to develop an effective vaccine against this strain.
