Meningococcal Vaccines

Key Differences

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends Menactra, a quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine, for routine immunization in persons aged 9 months through 55 years, due to its improved immunologic properties and longer-lasting protection compared to Menomune, a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine 1, 3, 4
Menomune induces a T-lymphocyte–independent immune response, resulting in limited immunologic memory and poor responses in young children, whereas Menactra produces a T-lymphocyte–dependent immune response, resulting in improved primary responses and stronger anamnestic responses 1
The American Academy of Pediatrics notes that Menomune does not confer long-lasting immunity and does not substantially reduce nasopharyngeal carriage of N. meningitidis, failing to interrupt transmission or elicit herd immunity, in contrast to conjugate vaccines like Menactra which provide longer-lasting protection with immunologic memory 1, 2

The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommends that persons previously vaccinated with either Menactra or Menomune who remain at prolonged increased risk should be revaccinated with Menactra, due to its superior immunogenicity and ability to prevent disease 3, 4
Multiple doses of polysaccharide vaccines like Menomune may cause immunologic hyporesponsiveness to serogroups A and C, though clinical implications remain unclear, whereas this phenomenon does not occur with conjugate vaccines like Menactra 1, 2

Menactra contains 4 μg of each capsular polysaccharide conjugated to approximately 48 μg of diphtheria toxoid, administered intramuscularly, and is licensed for use in persons aged 9 months through 55 years 1
Menomune contains 50 μg of each purified capsular polysaccharide from serogroups A, C, Y, and W, administered subcutaneously, and is licensed for use in persons aged 2 years and older 1