Meningococcal Group C Vaccine Is Safe, Effective In Infants.(Brief Article)

2001 APR 18 - (NewsRx.com & NewsRx.net) --

by N.R. Saltmarsh, staff medical writer - Infants vaccinated against meningococcal group C have few side effects and show high antibody titers against Neisseria meningitidis, according to a report in the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

The success of group C meningococcal vaccine will become increasingly relevant as N. meningitidis moves to the forefront of pathogens causing bacterial sepsis and meningitis and Pneumococcus retreats following widespread use of conjugate pneumococcal vaccine, reported M.B. Rennels and colleagues at the University of Maryland.

They tested meningococcal group C vaccine conjugated to CRM197 protein via reductive amination (MnCC), given in three to four doses to 106 infants.

The infants were vaccinated at two, four, and six months, and 64 were given a fourth booster at 12 or 15 months. Routine childhood vaccines, including that for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis were co-administered at the usual times.

Parents reported moderate to severe local reactions, including erythema and pain interfering with limb movement, for up to 3.2% of injections, and fever for 23%-32% of injections. Fever was not necessarily attributable to MnCC injection, however, since other vaccines were co-administered.

Serum enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) revealed geometric mean concentrations of immunoglobulin G antibody to group C meningococci to be 3.72 (micro)g/ml after the third booster and 8.03 (micro)g/ml ...