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ObjectiveSerogroup W and Y invasive meningococcal disease increased globally from 2000 onwards. Responding to a rapid increase in serogroup W clonal complex 11 (W:cc11) invasive meningococcal disease, the UK replaced an adolescent booster dose of meningococcal C conjugate vaccine with quadrivalent MenACWY conjugate vaccine in 2015. By 2018, the vaccine coverage in the eligible school cohorts aged 14 to 19 years was 84%. We assessed the impact of the MenACWY vaccination programme on meningococcal carriage.MethodsAn observational study of culture-defined oropharyngeal meningococcal carriage prevalence before and after the start of the MenACWY vaccination programme in UK school students, aged 15 to 19 years, using two cross-sectional studies: 2014 to 2015 "UKMenCar4" and 2018 "Be on the TEAM" (ISRCTN75858406).ResultsA total of 10 625 participants preimplementation and 13 434 postimplementation were included. Carriage of genogroups C, W, and Y (combined) decreased from 2.03 to 0.71% (OR 0.34 [95% CI 0.27-0.44], p DiscussionThe UK MenACWY vaccination programme reduced carriage acquisition of genogroup and serogroup Y and W meningococci and sustained low levels of genogroup C carriage. These data support the use of quadrivalent MenACWY conjugate vaccine for indirect (herd) protection.

Original publication

DOI

10.1016/j.cmi.2022.07.004

Type

Journal article

Journal

Clinical microbiology and infection : the official publication of the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases

Publication Date

13/07/2022

Addresses

Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre, Oxford, UK; Monash University, Monash Children's Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.

Keywords

UKMenCar4 and ‘Be on the TEAM’ Study Collaborators