Impact of meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccines on pharyngeal carriage in adolescents: evidence for herd protection from the UK MenACWY programme

Objective: Serogroup 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. Methods: An 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). Results: A total of 10 625 participants preimplementation and 13 438 postimplementation were included. Carriage of genogroups C, W, and Y (combined) decreased from 2.03 to 0.71% (OR 0.34 [95% CI 0.27e0.44], p < 0.001). Carriage of genogroup B meningococci did not change (1.26% vs 1.23% [95% CI 0.77 e1.22], p = 0.80) and genogroup C remained rare (n = 7/10 625 vs 17/13 438, p = 0.135). The proportion of serogroup positive isolates (i.e. those expressing capsule) decreased for genogroup Wby 53.8% (95% CI -5.0 e 79.8, p = 0.016) and for genogroup Y by 30.1% (95% CI 8.946.3, p = 0.0025). Discussion: The 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. Jeremy P. Carr, Clin Microbiol Infect 2022;28:1649.e1-e1649.e8

Automated summary

The MenACWY vaccination program in the UK has shown positive impact on reducing carriage rates of serogroup W and Y meningococci among school students aged 15 to 19 years. The study supports the use of quadrivalent MenACWY conjugate vaccine for indirect (herd) protection.