People with medical conditions that increase their risk of invasive meningococcal disease are recommended to receive MenACWY and MenB vaccines

MenACWY and MenB vaccines are funded through the NIP for people with certain medical conditions that increase their risk of invasive meningococcal disease. For details see the National Immunisation Program Schedule.

People with medical conditions specified in List. Specified medical conditions associated with increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease are recommended to receive MenACWY and MenB vaccines.

This includes:

a full primary course of MenACWY vaccine, with ongoing booster doses
a full primary course of MenB vaccine, with a single booster dose

People with these specific medical conditions have a higher risk of invasive meningococcal disease. They are recommended to receive extra doses compared with people who do not have these conditions. People at standard background risk are currently not recommended to receive a booster dose of MenACWY or MenB vaccine.

The number of doses needed depends on the vaccine brand used and the person’s age when they start the vaccine course.

There is no preference for either brand of MenACWY vaccine – MenQuadfi, Menveo, or Nimenrix – for people aged ≥12 months.

There is no preference for either brand of MenB vaccine – Bexsero or Trumenba – for people aged ≥10 years. Infants and children aged <10 years can receive Bexsero as it is the only MenB vaccine registered for use in this age group and available in Australia.

Bexsero and Trumenba are not interchangeable for primary or booster doses. The same vaccine should be used for all primary vaccine doses, as well as any booster dose.

If an infant or child <10 years of age is inadvertently given a booster dose of Trumenba, repeat the dose with Bexsero. If a person ≥10 years of age receives a booster dose that is a different brand to the primary course, they do not need an extra or repeat dose of the booster vaccine. While it is not preferable as there is no specific data on interchangeability of Bexsero and Trumenba, it will still provide protection.

For more details see:

List. Specified medical conditions associated with increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease

Conditions
defects in, or deficiency of, complement components, including factor H, factor D or properdin deficiency people with acquired complement deficiency due to receipt of complement inhibitor therapy (including but not limited to eculizumab or ravulizumab) functional or anatomical asplenia, including sickle cell disease or other haemoglobinopathies, and congenital or acquired asplenia HIV, regardless of disease stage or CD4⁺ cell count haematopoietic stem cell transplant

Conditions

defects in, or deficiency of, complement components, including factor H, factor D or properdin deficiency
people with acquired complement deficiency due to receipt of complement inhibitor therapy (including but not limited to eculizumab or ravulizumab)
functional or anatomical asplenia, including sickle cell disease or other haemoglobinopathies, and congenital or acquired asplenia
HIV, regardless of disease stage or CD4⁺ cell count
haematopoietic stem cell transplant

Table. Recommendations for MenACWY vaccine for people with a specified medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease

Age at start of vaccine course	MenACWY vaccine brand	Dose requirements for people with a specified medical condition associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease
6 weeks to 5 months	Menveo Nimenrix	4 doses (8 weeks between doses; 4th dose at 12 months of age or 8 weeks after 3rd dose, whichever is later)
6–11 months	Menveo Nimenrix	3 doses (8 weeks between 1st and 2nd doses; 3rd dose at 12 months of age or 8 weeks after 2nd dose, whichever is later)
≥12 months	MenQuadfi Menveo Nimenrix	2 doses (8 weeks between doses)
Booster doses for all ages^a	MenQuadfi Menveo Nimenrix	For people with ongoing increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease who completed the primary series at: ≤6 years of age — 3 years after completing the primary schedule, then every 5 years after that ≥7 years of age — every 5 years after completing the primary schedule

a People can receive booster doses using any brand of MenACWY vaccine.

Table. Recommendations for MenB vaccine for people with a specified medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease

Age at start of vaccine course	MenB vaccine brand^a	Dose requirements for people with a specified medical condition associated with increased risk of meningococcal disease
6 weeks to 5 months	Bexsero	4 doses (8 weeks between doses; 4th dose at 12 months of age or 8 weeks after 3rd dose, whichever is later)
6–11 months	Bexsero	3 doses (8 weeks between 1st and 2nd doses; 3rd dose at 12 months of age or 8 weeks after 2nd dose, whichever is later)
12 months to 9 years	Bexsero	2 doses (8 weeks between doses)
≥10 years^a	Bexsero	2 doses (8 weeks between doses)
≥10 years^a	Trumenba	3 doses (1 month between 1st and 2nd doses; 6 months between 1st and 3rd doses)
Booster doses for all ages^a	Bexsero	For people with ongoing increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease who completed the primary series at: ≤6 years of age — single booster dose 3 years after completing the primary schedule ≥7 years of age — single booster dose 5 years after completing the primary schedule
Booster doses for all ages^a	Trumenba	For people with ongoing increased risk of invasive meningococcal disease, single booster dose 5 years after completing the primary schedule

a Bexsero and Trumenba are not interchangeable for primary or booster doses.

People who have previously received a meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine

People with medical conditions that increase their risk of invasive meningococcal disease who have previously received a quadrivalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (4vMenPV - previously available in Australia but now discontinued) are recommended to receive 2 doses of MenACWY conjugate vaccine, with a recommended minimum interval of 8 weeks between doses.

They should receive the 1st dose of MenACWY conjugate vaccine 2 years after the most recent dose of 4vMenPV, with a recommended minimum interval of 6 months.^1-3 They are also recommended to receive booster doses of MenACWY vaccine (see Table. Recommendations for MenACWY vaccine for people with a specified medical condition that increases their risk of invasive meningococcal disease).