The Annals Visit the journal of Pharmacy Technology for more pharmacy practice research and reviews!
home help contact us subscription past issues search current issue
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     


Published Online, 7 March 2006, www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1G486.
 The Annals of Pharmacotherapy: Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 666-673. DOI 10.1345/aph.1G486
© 2006 Harvey Whitney Books Company.
This Article
Right arrow Résumé Freely available
Right arrow Extracto Freely available
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow PDF
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Articles Ahead of Print
Right arrow [Order Reprint]
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Mehlhorn, A. J
Right arrow Articles by Sucher, B. J
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Mehlhorn, A. J
Right arrow Articles by Sucher, B. J

FORMULARY FORUM

Update on Prevention of Meningococcal Disease: Focus on Tetravalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine

Allana J Mehlhorn, PharmD BCPS

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Lloyd L Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University, West Palm Beach, FL

Holly E Balcer

PharmD Student, Lloyd L Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Brandon J Sucher, PharmD CDE

Assistant Professor, Department of Pharmacy Practice and Administration, Lloyd L Gregory School of Pharmacy, Palm Beach Atlantic University

Reprints: not available.

OBJECTIVE: To review the immunogenicity, efficacy, safety, and new recommendations for routine use of the tetravalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4).

DATA SOURCES: A MEDLINE search (1966-June 2005) was conducted using the key words Neisseria meningitidis and meningococcal vaccines for clinical trials limited to human research published in the English language.

STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION: Randomized, controlled, multicenter trials were reviewed and included to evaluate the safety and efficacy of MCV4. Additional open-label trials on the use of MCV4 in children less than 24 months of age are included since these studies may be used to support the approval of the vaccine for use in children. Literature on epidemiology and pathology of meningococcal meningitis and the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommendations were also reviewed.

DATA SYNTHESIS: MCV4 is approved for active immunization of adolescents and adults between the ages of 11 and 55 years for the prevention of disease caused by N. meningitidis serogroups A, C, Y, and W-135. MCV4 has been shown to have comparable immunogenicity and a similar adverse reaction profile to the tetravalent meningococcal polysaccharide vaccine (MPSV4). It is expected that MCV4 will provide a longer duration of protection from meningococcal disease than MPSV4.

CONCLUSIONS: Based on lished immunogenicity, efficacy, and safety data, as well as the recent recommendations by the ACIP for its routine use, MCV4 is the preferred meningococcal vaccine for persons between 11 and 55 years of age and should be included on pharmacy formularies.

Key Words: meningococcal vaccines, Neisseria meningitidis

Published Online, March 7, 2006. www.theannals.com, DOI 10.1345/aph.1G486

THIS ARTICLE IS APPROVED FOR CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT
ACPE UNIVERSAL PROGRAM NUMBER: 407-000-06-008-H01




homecopy help contact us subscription past issues search current issue
Copyright © 2006 by Harvey Whitney Books Company.