Neisseria meningitidis is one of the most feared infections in pediatrics as the result of its rapid progression, high fatality rate, and frequent occurrence of sequelae. The 5 major meningococcal serogroups associated with disease are A, B, C, Y, and W-135. Currently available polysaccharide vaccines are effective in preventing disease caused by serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 in older children and adults but do not elicit good long-term protection in young children. Vaccines that protect against serogroup B disease are still in development. As with the Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines, conjugation of the polysaccharide vaccine to a protein carrier dramatically changes vaccine characteristics, with resulting efficacy in infants. New meningococcal conjugate vaccines against serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135 are being developed. A serogroup C conjugate vaccine has been introduced successfully into the routine childhood schedule in the United Kingdom. New meningococcal conjugate vaccines are likely to have a dramatic effect on the burden of meningococcal disease within the next decade.