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Evidence summaries

Polysaccharide Vaccines for Preventing Serogroup A Meningococcal Meningitis

Polysaccharine vaccines against serogroup A meningococcal meningitis are highly effective in persons over 5 years of age, and probably effective even in younger age groups. Level of evidence: "A"

A Cochrane review [Abstract] 1 included 8 studies. The protective effect within the first year of vaccination was consistent across the trials. The summary vaccine efficacy was 95% (95% CI 87% to 99%). Protection extended into the second and third year after vaccination but the results did not attain statistical significance. The vaccine was protective in Finnish children aged 3 months to five years. The latter was also the only trial that assessed the effect of a booster dose in children under two years of age but lacked power to yield statistically significant results. The vaccine was protective in one- to five-year old children in developing countries (Nigeria and Sudan) but the age-specific efficacy in strata between one and five years of age could not be determined.

    References

    • Patel M, Lee CK. Polysaccharide vaccines for preventing serogroup A meningococcal meningitis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2005 Jan 25;(1):CD001093 [Review content assessed as up-to-date: 25 May 2010]. [PubMed]

Primary/Secondary Keywords