Category B recommendation for short-term protection against meningitis for all aged 16 to 23
WEDNESDAY, July 8, 2015 (HealthDay News) — The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) has voted to issue a category B recommendation for use of two serogroup B meningococcal (MenB) vaccines in patients aged 16 to 23 years for short-term disease prevention, according to a report published by the American Academy of Family Physicians.
Noting that the ACIP had previously recommended the two MenB vaccines only for people aged 10 years and older who were at increased risk of serogroup B meningococcal disease, the group decided to expand the recommendation via a B recommendation for use in patients ages 16 to 23 for short-term protection against the disease. The preferred age at vaccination is 16 to 18. The vaccine was not sufficiently cost-effective for an A recommendation.
Concerns related to the vaccine recommendation include side effects from the vaccine, with anaphylaxis seen in one case per 11,000 in one study and one case per 59,000 in a second study. Another concern is the cost of universal vaccination for those aged 16 to 23 years, with an estimated cost of $2 to $4 billion, while few infections and deaths would be prevented. Fourteen public comments were introduced during discussion of the vaccination at the ACIP meeting.
“Deborah Wexler, M.D., from the Immunization Action Coalition, requested the ACIP recommendation be clear and simple and also that the costs to families dealing with the disease and those associated with managing outbreaks at colleges be considered,” according to the article.
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