Indications
- Prevention of meningitis due to meningococcus A in countries of the African meningitis belt
Composition, forms, route of administration
- Inactivated bacterial vaccine, conjugated (Neisseria meningitidis group A)
- Powder for injection, to be dissolved with the entirevial of the diluent supplied by the manufacturer
- Vials of 10 doses of:
- 5 micrograms of meningococcal A antigen per 0.5ml dose for children aged 3 to 24 months
- 10 micrograms of meningococcal A antigen per 0.5 ml dose for children from 1 year and adults up to 29 years
- For deep IM injection,into the anterolateral part of the thigh in children < 2 years or into the deltoid muscle in children ≥ 2 years and adults
Dosage and vaccination schedule
Child 3 to < 9 months: 2 doses of 0.5 ml, to be administered at least 8 weeks apart Child 9 months and over: 0.5 ml single dose
Adult: 0.5 ml single dose
Contra-indications, adverse effects, precautions
- Do not administer to patients with history of an allergic reaction to a previous injection of meningococcal vaccine.
- Vaccination should be postponed in the event of severe acute febrile illness(minor infections are not contra-indications).
- May cause: mild local reaction, mild fever.
- Do not mix with other vaccines in the same syringe (inactivation of vaccines).
- If administered simultaneously with other vaccines,use different syringes and injection sites.
- Pregnancy: no contra-indication
- Breast-feeding: no contra-indication
Remarks
Immunity lasts at least 27 months.
The WHO recommends this vaccine for routine vaccination in children aged 9 to 18 months, in catch-up or periodic campaigns in children from 1 year and in mass vaccination campaigns during outbreaks due to meningococcus A in children from 1 year and adults up to 29 years.
Storage
– Do not freeze.
- Powder: between 2 °C and 8 °C.
- Diluent: a cold chain is not required for storage. However, at least 12 hours before reconstitution of the vaccine, the diluent must be refrigerated between 2 °C and 8 °C so that the diluent and lyophilised powder are at the same temperature: a temperature difference during reconstitution may reduce vaccine efficacy.
- Reconstituted vaccine:up to 40 °C for 6 hours maximum.
- Controlled temperature chain (CTC): during mass vaccination campaigns only, the 10 microgramvaccine can be stored in temperatures of up to 40 °C for a period of 4 days maximum.Any vaccine removed from the cold chain and not used within 4 days or exposed to temperatures > 40 °C must be discarded.