Meningococcal Vaccines

Lee, Sang Oh

Abstract

Meningococcal polysaccharide vaccines did not elicit a memory response; they induced a response that was neither long-lasting nor anamnestic after subsequent challenges with the same polysaccharide antigen. Conjugate vaccines developed to overcome the limitations of polysaccharide vaccines were expected to lead a strong anamnestic response at re-exposure; however, it lacks clinical data to support those expectations. CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA) had recommended vaccination of persons in certain high-risk groups with polysaccharide meningococcal vaccines. In 2005, a tetravalent conjugate vaccine was licensed for use among persons aged 11-55 years. Since then, CDC has been recommending routine vaccination of young adolescents with conjugate vaccine at preadolescent health-care visit (at age 11-12 years). Because the incidence of meningococcal diseases has not been clearly notified and meningococcal vaccines have not been introduced yet in Korea, it is hard to follow these recommendations. Therefore it is thought to be proper to recommend the vaccinations of persons in certain high-risk groups, which the Korean Army is one of the most well-known high-risk groups. It is necessary to consider the need for meningococcal vaccination of the Korean Army most of all.