Spain’s national health authorities are advancing their immunization strategy by transitioning from a monovalent to a quadrivalent meningococcal vaccine schedule for infants. This move aims to enhance protection against multiple strains of meningococcal bacteria, thereby reducing the incidence of invasive disease among the youngest population.
Existing Vaccination Guidelines
Currently, the Spanish Interterritorial Council of the National Health System recommends administering the MenC vaccine to infants at four and twelve months of age to prevent invasive meningococcal disease (IMD). In parallel, the Spanish Association of Pediatrics and several regional health bodies advocate for a broader approach, endorsing the MenACWY vaccine, which targets serogroups A, C, W, and Y, at the same infant stages. Additionally, both central authorities and pediatric experts suggest extending MenACWY vaccination to twelve-year-old adolescents.
Research Insights and Public Health Impact
A recent study employed a static multi-cohort population model to assess the potential benefits of substituting the current MenC schedule with various MenACWY vaccination strategies in infants. This analysis compared the existing MenC-focused approach against four alternative regimens incorporating the quadrivalent MenACWY-TT vaccine, all of which included an adolescent dose at twelve years.
– Implementing MenACWY-TT at 2, 4, and 12 months can prevent over 100 additional IMD cases annually.
– Early administration of quadrivalent vaccines correlates with a significant reduction in mortality and long-term health issues.
– A two-dose infant schedule with earlier doses maximizes public health benefits under both standard and high-incidence conditions.
The study identified that administering MenACWY-TT at two, four, and twelve months yielded the highest efficacy, potentially averting approximately 103 additional IMD cases, 17 deaths, and 41 cases with long-term sequelae compared to the current MenC strategy in scenarios with baseline IMD incidence.
Adopting the MenACWY-TT schedule not only aligns vaccination practices with recommendations from key pediatric organizations but also broadens the protective coverage against multiple meningococcal serogroups. This strategic enhancement in the immunization program is poised to significantly diminish the public health burden posed by invasive meningococcal disease among infants and adolescents.
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