Gaps in vaccine coverage leave the majority of teens vulnerable to meningococcal disease1,2

Nearly 9 out of 10 teens are missing CDC-recommended vaccinations against the 5 leading meningococcal serogroups (A, B, C, W, and Y) that cause this uncommon yet potentially devastating disease1,3*†

Based on the 2022 National Immunization Survey of 13- to 17-year-olds in the United States, only 61% of 17-year-olds surveyed had received ≥2 doses of a MenACWY vaccine and only 12% had received ≥2 doses of a MenB vaccine at age 17 (n=3019).1

39

%

of older adolescents have not received a second MenACWY dose.1†

a group of teens representing the amount of older adolescents that have not received a second MenACWY dose

Actor portrayal.

88

%

of healthy older adolescents have not completed their MenB series.1†

group of teens representing the amount of older adolescents that have not completed their MenB vaccine series

Actor portrayal.

a variety of factors contribute to gaps in adolescent meningococcal vaccination

A variety of factors contribute to gaps in adolescent meningococcal vaccination

icon for meningococcal vaccine which teens are less likely to receive once they get older
As teens get older, they are less likely to receive meningococcal vaccines4‡
icon for adolescent annual checkups that they tend to miss more as they get older
Children tend to miss more annual visits as they age5§
icon for complex vaccination recommendations may be confusing for patients and guardians
Complex recommendations may cause confusion for patients and their parents or guardians6
icon for why meningococcal disease is so dangerous and why vaccine coverage gaps can be deadly

Disease Severity

The consequences of coverage gaps can be deadly7-9

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A New Option

Learn about a new vaccine that could help you close gaps in coverage10

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†ACIP recommends routine administration of a MenACWY vaccine for all healthy persons aged 11 to 18 years, with a single dose at age 11 or 12, followed by a booster dose at age 16. ACIP also recommends a 2-dose MenB vaccine series administered 1 to 6 months apart for healthy persons aged 16 to 23 years on the basis of shared clinical decision-making, with a preferred age range of 16 to 18. For further guidance on individuals in older age groups or at increased risk, see ACIP Meningococcal Vaccine Recommendations.11
‡Data gathered from a real-world MarketScan analysis of commercial and Medicaid claims. A decrease of 17.3% and 14.9% of MenB series starts were observed for commercially and Medicaid-insured individuals at 16 and 19 years of age, respectively.4​​​​​​​
§Based on well-child checkup data from the National Health Interview Survey, 2008 and 2018. In 2018, the percentage of annual well-child checkups decreased 10.2% from children 0 to 4 years of age to adolescents 12 to 17 years of age.5
References

  1. Pingali C, Yankey D, Elam-Evans LD, et al. Vaccination coverage among adolescents aged 13–17 years—National Immunization Survey–Teen, United States, 2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2023;72(34):912-919.

  2. Vaccines and preventable diseases: meningococcal vaccination. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last reviewed October 12, 2021. Accessed August 2, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mening/index.html

  3. Purmohamad A, Abasi E, Azimi T, et al. Global estimate of Neisseria meningitidis serogroups proportion in invasive meningococcal disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Microb Pathog. 2019;134:103571.

  4. Packnett E, Irwin DE, Novy P, et al. Meningococcal-group B (MenB) vaccine series completion and adherence to dosing schedule in the United States: a retrospective analysis by vaccine and payer type. Vaccine. 2019;37(39):5899-5908.

  5. QuickStats: percentage of children aged <18 years who received a well-child checkup in the past 12 months, by age group and year—National Health Interview Survey, United States, 2008 and 2018. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2020;69(8):222.

  6. Esposito S, Principi N, Cornaglia G; for the ESCMID Vaccine Study Group (EVASG). Barriers to the vaccination of children and adolescents and possible solutions. Clin Microbiol Infect. 2014;20(suppl 5):25-31.

  7. Meningococcal disease: diagnosis, treatment, and complications. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last reviewed February 7, 2022. Accessed March 21, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/meningococcal/about/diagnosis-treatment.html

  8. Cohn AC, MacNeil JR, Harrison LH, et al. Changes in Neisseria meningitidis disease epidemiology in the United States, 1998–2007: implications for prevention of meningococcal disease. Clin Infect Dis. 2010;50(2):184-191.

  9. Meningitis. World Health Organization. Accessed April 27, 2023. https://www.who.int/health-topics/meningitis#tab=tab_2

  10. Kroger A, Bahta L, Long S, Sanchez P. Vaccine recommendations and guidelines of the ACIP: general best practice guidelines for immunization. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed August 31, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/acip-recs/generalrecs/downloads/general-recs.pdf

  11. Mbaeyi SA, Bozio CH, Duffy J, et al. Meningococcal vaccination: recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, United States, 2020. MMWR Recomm Rep. 2020;69(9):1-41.