title: [Effectiveness of an immunization campaign with group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine in controlling an outbreak of group C meningococcal disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the safety, immunogenicity and efficacy of group A and C meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (A/C MPV) in response to an outbreak of group C meningococcal disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A vaccination campaign with A/C MPV was prompted 6 weeks after the use of group A MPV in Laibin city, Guangxi, where an outbreak of group C meningococcal meningitis occurred in 2002. Vaccinees were observed for local and systemic reactions after the vaccination and followed up for the meningococcal disease for 5 years. Blood samples were collected from 71 people in the epidemic and 43 in the non-epidemic areas before and 1 month after the vaccination and examined by ELISA to detect IgG antibodies to group A and C polysaccharides.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The vaccination coverage was 97%. No significant adverse reactions were observed. The positive rates of group C antibodies after vaccination was between 97.67% and 100% among the populations in the epidemic and non-epidemic areas, as well as among those negative and positive for group C antibodies prior to the vaccination. The geometric mean anti-C concentrations ranged 30.81 microg/ml to 37.44 microg/ml, showing no significant difference between groups. The incidence rate of meningococcal disease in students with timely immunization (218.58/100,000) dropped by 69.02%, when compared to that in those with delayed immunization (705.72/100,000). No clinical cases were identified during the follow-up period of 15,760 person-years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The vaccination campaign with the Chinese group A/C MPV seemed successful in controlling the group C meningococcal outbreak. The vaccine was shown to be safe even administered after the group A vaccine only 6 weeks apart. It could induce high levels of antibodies in vulnerable population and significantly increase antibody levels in seropositive individuals, thus providing a protection of at least 5 years.
authors.affiliation: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanning 530028, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gong
authors.forename: Cui-Yun
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Bai-Qing
authors.initials: BQ
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.forename: Jing-Zhi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Quan
authors.forename: Wan-Zhuan
authors.initials: WZ
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.forename: Cheng-Hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.forename: Wei-Cheng
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Mao
authors.forename: He-Zhuang
authors.initials: HZ
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.forename: Jin-Song
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Xuan-Lin
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Cui
authors.forename: Gui-Lin
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Xing-Hua
authors.initials: XH
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Rong-Wei
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Lan
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D032541:Mass Vaccination; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000145:classification / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines