title: Routine vaccination against MenB: considerations for implementation.
abstract: Effective polysaccharide(conjugate) vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis serogroups A, C, W, and Y have been widely used, but serogroup B meningococci remain a major cause of severe invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) worldwide, especially in infants. Recently, a vaccine, 4CMenB (Bexsero(®)), containing three recombinant proteins, and outer membrane vesicles (OMV) derived from a serogroup B meningococcal strain (MenB) has been licensed in Europe and Australia and is indicated for persons aged 2 mo or older. This article discusses what should be considered to enable a successful implementation of a broad coverage MenB vaccine in national immunization programs. Epidemiology data, vaccine characteristics including vaccine coverage, immunogenicity, post-implementation surveillance and costs are relevant aspects that should be taken into account when selecting an appropriate immunization strategy. The potential impact on strain variation and carriage, as well as monitoring vaccine effectiveness, and rare but potentially serious adverse events are points that need to be included in a post-implementation surveillance plan.
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM); Centre for Immunology of Infectious diseases and Vaccines; Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kaaijk
authors.affiliation: Academic Medical Centre (AMC); Department of Medical Microbiology and the Netherlands Reference Laboratory for Bacterial Meningitis; Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Arie
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van der Ende
authors.affiliation: National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM); Centre for Immunology of Infectious diseases and Vaccines; Bilthoven, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Willem
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Luytjes
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D062665:Epidemiological Monitoring; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008585:Meningitis, Meningococcal / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D011358:Product Surveillance, Postmarketing; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: C570015:4CMenB vaccine; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines
keywords: MenB; carriage; epidemiology; immunogenicity; strain variation; vaccination strategy; vaccine safety