Immunogenicity of, and immunologic memory to, a reduced primary schedule of meningococcal C-tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine in infants in the United Kingdom

Raymond Borrow, David Goldblatt, Adam Finn, Joanna Southern, Lindsey Ashton, Nicholas Andrews, Gouri Lal, Christine Riley, Rukhsana Rahim, Keith Cartwright, Geraldine Allan, Elizbeth Miller*

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    87 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    It has been previously shown that one of the three meningococcal C conjugate (MCC) vaccines introduced in the United Kingdom proved highly immunogenic after the first dose of a three-dose schedule, with evidence of immune memory after dose 3. Thus, in infants a one- or two-dose schedule of this MCC vaccine, conjugated to tetanus toxoid (TT), may suffice. Healthy infants (n = 586) were randomized to receive either one (group 1), two (group 2), or three (group 3) doses of MCC-TT vaccine with a 10-μg polysaccharide booster given at 13 to 14 months of age. Serum bactericidal antibody (SBA) levels were measured by utilizing rabbit complement (rSBA), meningococcal C-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG), and avidity indices (AIs). For groups 1, 2, and 3, the percentages of infants with an rSBA level of ≥8 against strain C11 were 98.4, 100, and 99.4%, respectively. Infants in group 1 with prevaccination rSBA titers of ≥8 had post-primary MCC rSBA geometric mean titers (GMTs) significantly lower than those infants with prevaccination rSBA titers of <8. One dose of MCC-TT vaccine given to infants at 2 months of age yielded significantly lower SBA GMTs and geometric mean AIs (GMAIs) than two or three doses but elicited a significantly greater response after boosting, as reflected by rSBA levels and GMAI. This study provides the first evidence that the number of doses of MCC-TT used in infant immunization schedules could be decreased.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)5549-5555
    Number of pages7
    JournalInfection and Immunity
    Volume71
    Issue number10
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 1 Oct 2003

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