CDC Committee Recommends Meningitis B Vaccination

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has voted to recommend meningococcal group B vaccination for adolescents and young adults aged 16 to 23 years.

This Category B recommendation also means that health care professionals will make the decision to vaccinate against meningococcal group B based on individual patient risk assessment.

"Meningococcal disease is fast-moving, unpredictable, and can cause irreversible damage, so vaccination is the best tool to help prevent it,” stated Patrick Desbiens, senior vice president of US vaccines for GlaxoSmithKline (GSK). “(This) vote is the latest milestone on a 20-year journey to develop a vaccine in order to help protect individuals from this devastating condition.”

The ACIP’s recommendation includes GSK’s Bexsero and Pfizer’s Trumenba meningococcal group B vaccines, which are both approved by the FDA for use in patients aged 10 through 25 years. The preferred age for such vaccination is 16 to 18 years.

“Health care providers should understand the importance of (the) ACIP recommendation to help protect adolescents and young adults,” stated Laura York, global medical lead for meningococcal vaccines at Pfizer Vaccines. “This recommendation is an important step forward.”

The ACIP’s recommendation will be sent to the CDC director and the US Department of Health and Human Services for review.