Ck. Fairley et al., CONJUGATE MENINGOCOCCAL SEROGROUP-A AND SEROGROUP-C VACCINE - REACTOGENICITY AND IMMUNOGENICITY IN UNITED-KINGDOM INFANTS, The Journal of infectious diseases, 174(6), 1996, pp. 1360-1363
The reactogenicity and immunogenicity of a serogroup A and C meningoco
ccal polysaccharide-CRM(197) conjugate vaccine was evaluated in 58 inf
ants who received three doses at 2, 3, and 4 months of age. The conjug
ate vaccine produced few systemic side effects, and local reactions we
re significantly less common than those produced by the routine vaccin
ations. The prevaccination geometric mean titers (GMTs) of A and C pol
ysaccharide antibodies were, respectively, 2.8 and 0.6 mu g/mL, rising
to 21.5 and 38.5 mu g/mL by 1 month after the third dose (age 5 month
s) and falling to 3.1 and 2.2 mu g/mL by 14 months of age. Prevaccinat
ion serum bactericidal titers against 2 serogroup C meningococci strai
ns were <1/4 in 49 of 52 infants, rising to a GMT of 1/3082 at 1 month
after the third dose and falling by age 14 months to a GMT of 1/10. T
hus, this meningococcal conjugate vaccine proved to be safe and immuno
genic, inducing high levels of anti -C polysaccharide antibodies that
were bactericidal in young infants.