Effectiveness of a Meningococcal Group B Vaccine (4CMenB) in Children
Jesús Castilla, Manuel Garcìa Cenoz, Raquel Abad, Laura Sánchez-Cambronero, Nicola Lorusso, Conchita Izquierdo, Soledad Cañellas Llabrés, Javier Roig, Alberto Malvar, Fernando González Carril, An Lieve Dirk Boone, Jaime Pérez Martín, María Jesús Rodríguez Recio, Antònia Pascual Galmés, Arturo Caballero, A Rojas, Felipe Juanas, Mercedes Pedrero Nieto, Luis Javier Viloria Raymundo, Eva Martínez Ochoa, Ana I. Rivas, Daniel Castrillejo, David Moreno Pérez, Ana Martı́nez, Eva Borrás, Amaya Sánchez Gómez, Eliseo Pastor, Victoria Nartallo, José M. Arteagoitia, Blanca Álvarez-Fernández, Rocío García-Pina, Socorro Fernández Arribas, Joana Vanrell, Sara Hernández, Rita M. Mendoza, Manuel Méndez, M. Mar López-Tercero, Ángela Fernández-Rodríguez, Ángela Blanco, F. Javier Carrillo de Albornoz, José Ruiz Olivares, Rafael Ruiz-Montero, Aurora Limia, José-Antonio Navarro-Alonso, Julio A. Vázquez, Aurelio Barricarte
Abstract
BACKGROUND: In September 2015, the four-component, protein-based meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB; Bexsero) became available for private purchase in Spain. METHODS: We conducted a nationwide matched case-control study to assess the effectiveness of 4CMenB in preventing invasive meningococcal disease in children. The study included all laboratory-confirmed cases of invasive meningococcal disease in children younger than 60 months of age between October 5, 2015, and October 6, 2019, in Spain. Each case patient was matched with four controls according to date of birth and province. 4CMenB vaccination status of the case patients and controls was compared with the use of multivariate conditional logistic regression. RESULTS: We compared 306 case patients (243 [79.4%] with serogroup B disease) with 1224 controls. A total of 35 case patients (11.4%) and 298 controls (24.3%) had received at least one dose of 4CMenB. The effectiveness of complete vaccination with 4CMenB (defined as receipt of at least 2 doses, administered in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations) was 76% (95% confidence interval [CI], 57 to 87) against invasive meningococcal disease caused by any serogroup, and partial vaccination was 54% (95% CI, 18 to 74) effective. Complete vaccination resulted in an effectiveness of 71% (95% CI, 45 to 85) against meningococcal serogroup B disease. Vaccine effectiveness with at least one dose of 4CMenB was 64% (95% CI, 41 to 78) against serogroup B disease and 82% (95% CI, 21 to 96) against non-serogroup B disease. With the use of the genetic Meningococcal Antigen Typing System, serogroup B strains that were expected to be covered by 4CMenB were detected in 44 case patients, none of whom had been vaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: Complete vaccination with 4CMenB was found to be effective in preventing invasive disease by serogroup B and non-serogroup B meningococci in children younger than 5 years of age.