Vaccines and Preventable Diseases:
Meningococcal Vaccination
Pronounced
(muh-nin-jo-cok-ul)
Meningococcal vaccines protect against most types of meningococcal disease, although they do not prevent all cases. There are two vaccines against Neisseria meningitidis available in the United States: meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4 or Menomune®), and meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4 or Menactra®).
For Health Professionals:
What You Should Know
- Brief description
Symptoms, treatment, transmission, etc. - Questions and Answers
- Pictures of Meningococcal
Warning: Some of these photos might be unsuitable for children. Viewing discretion is advised. - Travelers
information
Information and updates on risks for travelers, precautions, prevention, etc.
The meningococcal disease can be prevented by the following vaccines: MCV4 and MPSV4.
- As an infant/child, pre-teen/adolesent,
or adult do I need this vaccine?
(describes when and which vaccine you should receive) - Side Effects
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- Questions and Answers (exit)
As with all vaccines, there can be minor reactions, including pain and redness at the injection site, headache, fatigue or a vague feeling of discomfort.
- Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) Among Persons who Received Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine
- CDC's Vaccine Safety website
- Who should not be vaccinated with Meningococcal vaccine?
- Pregnancy guidelines
- Use of Meningitis Vaccine in Persons with Cochlear Implants
For Health Professionals
Clinical
- Technical
information
Clinical Features, Etiologic Agent, Incidence, Complications, Transmission, Risk Groups, Surveillance, Trends, Challenges, etc. - Clincal Factsheet: Meningococcal Diseases and Meningococcal Vaccines
- Use of Meningitis Vaccine in Persons with Cochlear Implants
- Proper handling of MCV4 and MPSV4 vaccine
Recommendations
- ACIP recommendations
Prevention and Control of Meningococcal Disease - Healthcare Personnel Vaccination Recommendations (exit) July 2008
- Standing Orders (exit)
- Contraindications
- ACIP - Vaccines for Children (VFC) Resolution
References and Resources
- Related MMWR articles, links, and references
- More MMWRs on Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine (MCV4)
- Pink Book's
chapter on Meningococcal
Epidemiology & Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Surveillance manual's chapter on Meningococcal updated August 2008
Manual for the Surveillance of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases textbook - Travelers Health: Yellow Book
- Infection control guidelines
- Additional meningococcal disease info on other websites:
- Ask the
Experts (exit)
CDC experts (medial officers, medical epidemiologists, etc.) - National Meningitis Association (exit)
- Ask the
Experts (exit)
Provider Education
- Clinical
education slide set
from the "Epidemiology and Prevention of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases" course - Podcasts on general immunization topics
Materials for Patients
- Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
- Stories of people who suffered or died from vaccine-preventable diseases (exit)
- Meningococcal:
Questions and Answers (exit)
Ready-to-print versions of one of the CDC-reviewed Q&A material located on IAC's Vaccine Information website (www.vaccineinformation.org) Dated 4/07
Non-CDC Link Disclaimer: Links to non-Federal organizations found at this site are provided solely as a service to our users. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the Federal Government, and none should be inferred. The CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization web pages found at these links.
.pdf files: To view and print the .pdf files on this site, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader. Use this link to obtain a free copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader (exit). We highly recommend that you upgrade to the latest version if haven't already.
Content last reviewed on June 1, 2007
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases