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Polysaccharide vaccines for preventing serogroup A meningococcal meningitis

M Patel1, C K Lee

  • 1National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia. Mahomed.Patel@anu.edu.au

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|November 1, 2001
PubMed

Insights

The serogroup A polysaccharide vaccine offers strong protection against meningococcal meningitis for the first year post-vaccination. Efficacy beyond the first year and in young children requires further investigation.

Area of Science:

  • Immunology
  • Vaccinology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • Polysaccharide serogroup A vaccine demonstrated efficacy in preventing meningococcal meningitis over two decades ago.
  • Subsequent studies indicated potential age-specific variations in protection duration among young children.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the effectiveness of the polysaccharide serogroup A vaccine in preventing serogroup A meningococcal meningitis.
  • To assess the duration of protection and the impact of booster doses in children under two years of age.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of MEDLINE and Cochrane Controlled Trials Register.
  • Inclusion of prospective controlled trials and non-experimental studies.
  • Data synthesis using the Exact method for vaccine efficacy at 1, 2, and 3 years post-vaccination.

Main Results:

  • Vaccine efficacy was 95% (95% CI 87%, 99%) within the first year across 8 trials.
  • Protection extended into the second and third years, but without statistical significance.
  • Limited statistical power in trials assessing booster doses for children under 18 months.

Conclusions:

  • The vaccine provided strong protection for individuals over 5 years old in the first year post-vaccination.
  • Protection beyond the first year was observed but not precisely quantifiable.
  • Efficacy in children aged 1-5 years in developing countries was noted, with uncertainty for the youngest age groups.
Abstract

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