Influence of prior meningococcal C polysaccharide vaccination on the response and generation of memory after meningococcal C conjugate vaccination in young children

J Infect Dis. 2001 Aug 1;184(3):377-80. doi: 10.1086/322024. Epub 2001 Jul 10.

Abstract

To determine whether the immunological hyporesponsiveness induced by meningococcal AC polysaccharide (MACP) vaccines can be overcome by meningococcal C conjugate (MCC) vaccine in young children, serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) serogroup C-specific IgG and IgG avidity indices were measured in young children who received MACP vaccine, followed 7 months later by MCC vaccine, and their responses were compared with those in age-matched MACP-naive control children, who received a single dose of MCC vaccine. For children <1 year of age at MACP vaccination, the SBA geometric mean titer (GMT) after MCC vaccination was lower (P=.022) and proportions with SBA titers <8 (P=.0083) or <128 (P=.0091) were higher than those in the control children. For older children, there was no difference in the SBA GMTs between the study and control groups (P>.5) or in the proportion with SBA titers <8 (P=1.00) or <128 (P=.98). No increase in avidity occurred after MACP vaccination, whereas avidity increased significantly 1 month after MCC vaccination, with a further increase at 6 months, which indicates that the induction of immunological memory was not impaired.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Comparative Study
  • Controlled Clinical Trial

MeSH terms

  • Age Factors
  • Antibodies, Bacterial / blood*
  • Antibody Affinity
  • Antibody Formation
  • Blood Bactericidal Activity*
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Humans
  • Immunization, Secondary
  • Immunoglobulin G / blood*
  • Immunologic Memory*
  • Infant
  • Meningococcal Vaccines / therapeutic use*
  • Neisseria meningitidis / immunology*
  • Vaccines, Conjugate / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Bacterial
  • Immunoglobulin G
  • Meningococcal Vaccines
  • Vaccines, Conjugate
  • serogroup C meningococcal conjugate vaccine