Meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccination in England and Wales: coverage and initial impact of the campaign.
The UK was the first country to introduce meningococcal serogroup C conjugate vaccination. The vaccine was incorporated into the routine infant immunisation schedule and was offered to all under 18 year olds in a catch-up campaign. The vaccine has been well accepted in infants receiving routine vaccination, with coverage around 89%. Coverage in older children targeted in the catch-up campaign was above 85% up to the age of 14, and was lowest (43%) in 15-17 year olds not in education. The winter of 2000-01 was the first meningococcal season following the offer of the vaccination to all children and adolescents. The incidence of serogroup C disease in the targeted age groups fell by 80%, and the number of deaths in laboratory confirmed cases in 0-19 year olds decreased from 78 to 8 between 1998-99 and 2000-01. The incidence of serogroup B disease in all age groups was slightly higher in 2000-01 than previous years, and there was an increase in the incidence of serogroup C disease in those aged over 20 during the study period, leading to the extension of the vaccination campaign to 20-24 year olds.
Trotter
C L
CL
Immunisation Division, PHLS Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ. ctrotter@phls.org.uk
Ramsay
M E
ME
Kaczmarski
E B
EB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D032541:Mass Vaccination; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014852:Wales / Q000453:epidemiology
D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; C410218:serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccine