In the immunisation campaigns against invasive meningococcal B infections conducted in the French Departments of Seine-Maritime, Somme and Pyrénées-Atlantiques, the French High Council of public health (HCSP) recommended in July 2013 that any new immunisation be initiated with the Bexsero® vaccine and that anyone who had initiated their immunisation with the MenBvac® vaccine should complete their immunisation schedule with this same vaccine.
The HCSP has taken into consideration new elements, notably concerning the length of protection conferred by the fourth dose of MenBvac® and the availability of the MenBvac® and Bexsero® vaccines.
The HCSP considers, in order to allow a maximum number of people to complete their 4-dose immunisation schedule with MenBvac®, that the fourth dose may be viewed as a booster provided it is administered a minimum of six months after the last dose in the primary vaccination schedule.
Therefore, persons who have received their third MenBvac® dose no later than May 2014 can complete their immunisation course with this vaccine. Those who initiated their immunisation with MenBvac® but have not received their third dose by May 2014 will have to (assuming it has been decided to pursue the immunisation campaigns) re-initiate a full immunisation schedule with the Bexsero® vaccine allowing a gap of at least one month between the last MenBvac® dose and the first Bexsero® dose.
- Recommendation
- Europe
- France
- Meningococcal disease
