adverse reactions of meningococcal vaccination

Last edited 04/2019

MenC conjugate vaccine

• pain, tenderness, swelling, or redness at the injection site and mild fevers are common in all age groups
• in infants and toddlers
  • crying, irritability, drowsiness, impaired sleep, reduced eating, diarrhoea and vomiting are commonly seen
• in older children and adults, headaches, myalgia and drowsiness may be seen
• confirmed anaphylaxis after immunisation is extremely rare
• neurological reactions such as dizziness, febrile/afebrile seizures, faints, numbness and hypotonia following MenC are very rare

Hib/MenC conjugate

• mild side effects such as irritability, loss of appetite, pain, swelling, redness at the site of the injection and slightly raised temperature commonly occur
• Less commonly crying, diarrhoea, vomiting, atopic dermatitis, malaise and fever over 39.5°C have been reported

Meningococcal quadrivalent (ACWY) polysaccharide vaccine

• for Menveo
  • very common or common reported reactions included injection site reactions including pain, erythema, induration and pruritus
  • other very common or common reactions include headache, nausea, rash and malaise. Reports of all adverse reactions can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics
• for Nimenrix
  • very common or common reported reactions included injection site reactions including pain, erythema, and swelling
  • other very common or common reactions include irritability, drowsiness, headache, nausea, and loss of appetite
  • reports of all adverse reactions can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics for Nimenrix

4CMenB vaccine

• for 4CMenB (BexseroR)
  • the most common local and systemic adverse reactions observed in adolescents and adults were pain at the injection site, malaise and headache
  • in infants and children up to ten years of age
    • injection site reactions, fever (>=38oC) and irritability were very commonly seen
    • diarrhoea and vomiting, eating disorders, sleepiness, unusual crying and the development of a rash were commonly or very commonly seen
    • reports of all adverse reactions can be found in the Summary of Product Characteristics for BexseroR
  • in infants and children under two years of age, fever >=38oC (occasionally >=39oC) was more common when 4CMenB was administered at the same time as routine vaccines than when 4CMenB was given alone
    • fever peaks at around 6 hours and has usually gone by 48 hours after vaccination
  • JCVI have recommended, therefore, that paracetamol should be given prophylactically when 4CMenB is given with the routine vaccines in infants under one year of age

Reference:

1. Immunisation Against Infectious Disease - "The Green Book".Chapter 16 Haemophilis influenzae type B (Hib) (April 2019)
2. Start of the new meningococcal C conjugate vaccine immunisation programme (11/10/99)
3. PL/CMO/99/4.PL/CNO/99/8, PL/CPHO/99/3 (2) CMO's Update 27 (August 2000), 4.