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02 Feb NEJM: Effectiveness of Pediatric Meningococcal B Vaccine

Posted at 00:19h in Author Interviews, Infections, NEJM, Pediatrics, Vaccine Studies by

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Manuel García Cenoz MD,  PhDInstituto de Salud Pública de Navarra - IdiSNA, Pamplona, Spain CIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid

Dr. García Cenoz

Manuel García Cenoz MD,  PhDInstituto de Salud Pública de Navarra – IdiSNA, Pamplona, SpainCIBER Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Madrid

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study?

Response: Neisseria meningitidis is a major cause of severe disease in infants and children. After the introduction of serogroup C vaccines, serogroup B meningococcus has become the main cause of invasive meningococcal disease in Europe. The multicomponent protein-based meningococcal B vaccine (4CMenB, Bexsero, GSK) was licensed in the European Union in 2013. Its authorization was based on immunogenicity studies. Although some countries have introduced the 4CMenB vaccine into the publicly-funded infant immunization programs, the low incidence of the disease has limited the conduct of post-commercialization studies of effectiveness.Meningococcal B vaccine began to be used in Spain in children in 2014, recommended by the Spanish Association of Pediatrics, and paid by their families as it was not publicly-funded. We have conducted a nationwide study including all confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in Spain between October 2015 and September 2019 in children aged two months to five years.

MedicalResearch.com: What are the main findings?

  • This study shows that children under 5 years of age who had received the complete vaccination regimen against meningococcus B had a 71% lower risk of suffering from invasive meningococcal disease by serogroup B than those who were not vaccinated.
  • Children who had started vaccination but had not yet completed it, presented a 50% lower risk of the disease than those who were not vaccinated.
  • Children under 5 years of age with a complete vaccination regimen had a 76% lower risk of invasive meningococcal disease from any type of meningococcus than those not vaccinated, since this vaccine also seems to have a preventive effect against meningococci other than B (as 4CMenB vaccine antigens are not unique to group B meningococcus)

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: The results of this study support the recent decision of the Spanish Ministry of Health to incorporate vaccination against meningococcus B in the publicly-funded childhood immunization schedule.

I have no conflicts of interest or other disclosures to report.

Citation:

Effectiveness of a Meningococcal Group B Vaccine (4CMenB) in Children
J. Castilla and Others
N Engl J Med 2023;388:427-438 February 1 2023

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Last Updated on February 2, 2023 by Marie Benz MD FAAD

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