Pfizer Inc.announced today that the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) voted to recommend that:
- For persons at increased risk for meningococcal disease and for use during serogroup B outbreaks, 3 doses of TRUMENBA should be administered at 0, 1-2, and 6 months
- When given to healthy adolescents who are not at increased risk for meningococcal disease, 2 doses of TRUMENBA should be administered at 0 and 6 months
- If the second dose is given at an interval of less than 6 months, a third dose should be given at least 6 months after the first dose
“Today’s ACIP recommendation is an important update that offers clear guidance to healthcare providers administering TRUMENBA to help prevent meningococcal group B disease, also known as MenB, in healthy adolescents and young adults, as well as those at increased risk for the disease,” said Dr. Laura York, Global Medical Lead for Meningococcal Vaccines, Pfizer Vaccines. “This new recommendation enables flexible vaccination dosing intervals depending on one’s risk of exposure to MenB, which makes it easier for healthcare providers to help protect individuals from this uncommon but life-threatening disease.”
The ACIP recommendation will be forwarded to the director of the CDC and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for review and approval. Once approved, the recommendations are published in the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR). The Affordable Care Act (ACA) and Vaccines for Children (VFC) program ensure coverage for all vaccines administered in accordance with ACIP recommendations. Healthcare providers should contact their individual plan to determine specific coverage and reimbursement requirements.
In 2015, the CDC’s ACIP recommended serogroup B meningococcal vaccination for certain persons aged 10 years and older at increased risk for meningococcal disease.1 They also recommended that a MenB vaccine series may be administered to adolescents and young adults 16 through 23 years of age (preferred age 16 through 18) to provide short-term protection against most strains of MenB disease.2 In October 2014, TRUMENBA was granted Accelerated Approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for active immunization to prevent invasive disease caused by Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B in individuals 10 through 25 years of age.
Source: Pfizer
