Skip to main navigation Skip to search Skip to main content

Reduced antibody response to revaccination with meningococcal serogroup A polysaccharide vaccine in adults

  • Ray Borrow*
  • , Helen Joseph
  • , Nick Andrews
  • , Marisa Acuna
  • , Emma Longworth
  • , Sarah Martin
  • , Nicholas Peake
  • , Rukhsana Rahim
  • , Peter Richmond
  • , Edward Kaczmarski
  • , Elizabeth Miller
  • *Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

62 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Widespread use of meningococcal A and C polysaccharide (MACP) vaccines has raised concerns about induction of hyporesponsiveness to these polysaccharides. Immunological hyporesponsiveness to C polysaccharide has been clearly documented in infants, children and adults but only limited data from Gambian children are available for A polysaccharide. We investigated whether a second dose of MACP, given 6 months after an initial dose affected the immunological response as measured by the serum bactericidal assay (SBA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), to serogroup A meningococci in young adults (university students, n = 36). Serogroup A SBA responses 1 month following the second dose of MACP (geometric mean titre (GMT) 103.6, 95% CI 45.6-235.1) were approximately one third of the levels observed 1 month post first dose (GMT 281.9, 95% CI 134.9-581.4). The serogroup A-specific IgG levels post second dose (GMC 21.2, 95% CI 15.3-29.4) were also significantly lower at an average of three-quarters the level post first dose (GMC 28.7, 95% CI 20.8-39.7). This confirms that revaccination with MACP vaccine, 6 months following the initial dose, results in a reduced immunological response to A polysaccharide in adults. Repeated vaccination with MACP vaccine may be ineffective and development and use of meningococcal serogroup A conjugate vaccines should be encouraged.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1129-1132
Number of pages4
JournalVaccine
Volume19
Issue number9-10
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 8 Dec 2000
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
The laboratory work was supported by Aventis Pasteur. The field work for this study was supported by the UK Department of Health (Grant VCA7/9/3). The authors would like to thank Drs Rosemary McCann and Jenny Hill (Salford and Trafford Health Authority) for their assistance in facilitating the collection of clinical samples.

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

  1. SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
    SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being

Keywords

  • Hyporesponsiveness
  • Meningococcal serogroup A
  • Vaccine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Reduced antibody response to revaccination with meningococcal serogroup A polysaccharide vaccine in adults'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this