Persistence of serogroup C antibody responses following quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccination in United States military personnel.
Serogroup C meningococcal (MenC) disease accounts for one-third of all meningococcal cases and causes meningococcal outbreaks in the U.S. Quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine conjugated to diphtheria toxoid (MenACYWD) was recommended in 2005 for adolescents and high risk groups such as military recruits. We evaluated anti-MenC antibody persistence in U.S. military personnel vaccinated with either MenACYWD or meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4). Twelve hundred subjects vaccinated with MenACYWD from 2006 to 2008 or MPSV4 from 2002 to 2004 were randomly selected from the Defense Medical Surveillance System. Baseline serologic responses to MenC were assessed in all subjects; 100 subjects per vaccine group were tested during one of the following six post-vaccination time-points: 5-7, 11-13, 17-19, 23-25, 29-31, or 35-37 months. Anti-MenC geometric mean titers (GMT) were measured by rabbit complement serum bactericidal assay (rSBA) and geometric mean concentrations (GMC) by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Continuous variables were compared using the Wilcoxon rank sum test and the proportion of subjects with an rSBA titer ≥ 8 by chi-square. Pre-vaccination rSBA GMT was <8 for the MenACWYD group. rSBA GMT increased to 703 at 5-7 months post-vaccination and decreased by 94% to 43 at 3 years post-vaccination. GMT was significantly lower in the MenACWYD group at 5-7 months post-vaccination compared to the MPSV4 group. The percentage of MenACWYD recipients achieving an rSBA titer of ≥ 8 decreased from 87% at 5-7 months to 54% at 3 years. There were no significant differences between vaccine groups in the proportion of subjects with a titer of ≥ 8 at any time-point. GMC for the MenACWYD group was 0.14 μg/mL at baseline, 1.07 μg/mL at 5-7 months, and 0.66 μg/mL at 3 years, and significantly lower than the MPSV4 group at all time-points. Anti-MenC responses wane following vaccination with MenACYWD; a booster dose is needed to maintain protective levels of circulating antibody.
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. Electronic address: dvn4@cdc.gov.
Manisha
M
Patel
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA; Office of Science and Public Health Practice, Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS D 44, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Sandra
S
Romero-Steiner
Operational Infectious Diseases, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
Michael P
MP
Broderick
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Cynthia G
CG
Thomas
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Brian D
BD
Plikaytis
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Daniel S
DS
Schmidt
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Scott E
SE
Johnson
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Andrea S
AS
Milton
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
George M
GM
Carlone
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Thomas A
TA
Clark
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Nancy E
NE
Messonnier
Meningitis and Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial Diseases, National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1600 Clifton Road, MS C-25, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA.
Amanda C
AC
Cohn
Operational Infectious Diseases, Naval Health Research Center, 140 Sylvester Road, San Diego, CA 92106, USA.
Dennis J
DJ
Faix
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood*; D000917:Antibody Formation; D006801:Humans; D008589:Meningococcal Infections / Q000276:immunology* / Q000517:prevention & control; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008889:Military Personnel; D038542:Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup C; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D058248:Serum Bactericidal Antibody Assay; D013997:Time Factors; D014481:United States; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
Antibody persistence; Conjugate; Meningococcal vaccine; Polysaccharide