MenB vaccine recommended for 16- to 23-year-olds

(HealthDay)—Serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccination is recommended for adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 23 years to provide short-term protection from most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease, according to a report published in the Oct. 23 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Jessica R. MacNeil, M.P.H., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues summarized the rationale for the decision of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which recommended that adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 23 years may be vaccinated with a MenB vaccine to provide short-term protection.

The authors note that two MenB vaccines have recently been licensed for use and approved in 10- to 25-year-olds (MenB-FHbp and MenB-4C). The immunogenicity and safety data from clinical trials were reviewed for these vaccines. Data suggest the vaccines will protect against most currently circulating strains. Based on available data, there were no patterns of serious adverse events; additional safety data and post-licensure safety surveillance data are required. The ACIP supported vaccination for all adolescents, not just college students, mainly because of the number of cases occurring in those not attending college.

"A MenB vaccine series may be administered to adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 23 years to provide short-term protection against most strains of serogroup B meningococcal disease," the authors write. "The preferred age for MenB vaccination is 16 to 18 years."

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