No one vaccine covers all the meningococcal groups causing disease in New Zealand.
Bexsero® protects against meningococcal group B
Menactra®, MenQuadfi® and Nimenrix® protect against meningococcal groups A, C, Y and W.
NeisVac-C® protects against meningococcal group C
For best protection against all meningococcal disease, separate vaccinations against groups A, C, W and Y disease and group B disease are available. Health professionals are not advised to recommend an ACWY vaccine over a B vaccine or vice versa, a B vaccine over an ACWY vaccine. Who will get meningococcal disease or which meningococcal group could be the cause cannot be accurately predicted.
In general, children aged under 7 years when vaccinated are expected to have around 3 years of protection. In older children, adolescents and adults, protection is expected to last for around 5 years after vaccination.
The MeNZB™ vaccine used in New Zealand from 2004 to 2011 targeted one type of meningococcal group B disease. Those who received MeNZB™ are no longer expected to have protection against this type of group B disease.
No. Two doses of Bexsero are recommended for older children, adolescents and adults regardless of a history of MeNZB vaccination.
Yes. Menactra, MenQuadfi, Nimenrix and Bexsero can be administered at the same visit, using different sites.
No. When Menactra, MenQuadfi or Nimenrix and Bexsero are not coadministered, no minimum interval is required before administration of the subsequent vaccine.
Is a minimum interval required between administration of MenB, MenACWY and any other vaccine?
Menactra*, MenQuadfi, Nimenrix and Bexsero can be administered at the same visit as any other vaccine or any interval before/after any other vaccine.
*Except when Menactra and Prevenar® 13 are being administered, a minimum interval of 4 weeks is recommended between administration of these two vaccines.
No minimum interval is required between administration of NeisVac-C and subsequent MenACWY vaccines.
Menactra is approved for use as a two-dose vaccine course in children aged 9–23 months (inclusively). A child in this age group who receives one dose of Menactra can receive either Menactra, MenQuadfi (licensed from 12 months) or Nimenrix, a minimum of three months later to complete their primary vaccine course.
There are no safety concerns around administration of Nimenrix, MenQuadfi, Menactra or Bexsero at any stage of pregnancy. These are non-live vaccines and the advice is consistent with the recommendation for a pregnant woman to receive non-live vaccines when she has an increased risk of disease, for example influenza vaccination is recommended at any stage of pregnancy because they have an increased risk of influenza disease and complications.
For individuals outside these specified groups, meningococcal vaccines can be prescribed and purchased. Groups for whom meningococcal vaccination is recommended but not funded are noted in the Immunisation Handbook section 13.5.
Meningococcal disease incidence is highest in Māori (2.6 per 100,000 cases in 2021) compared with the total population. Household crowding is an important risk factor, independent of ethnicity.
In 2021, the highest age-specific disease rates were among those aged under 1 year (27.8 per 100,000, 17 cases) decreasing in ages 1–4 years (2.0 per 100,000, 5 cases). Three deaths occurred in 2021, giving a case fatality rate of 6.8 percent (ESR, April 2022).