Which Meningitis Vaccine Is Quadrivalent?

Quick Answer

Quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines are vaccines that cover 4 different serogroups of the 'Neisseria meningitidis' bacteria: A, C, W, and Y.

There are several different meningitis vaccines that are 'quadrivalent', meaning they cover those four serotypes. They are:

• Menveo (MenACWY-CRM)
• MenQuadfi (MenACWY-TT)
• Menactra (MenACWY-D) This was discontinued in 2022

For your appointment, be sure that you are getting the quadrivalent vaccine, not just the Group B Meningitis.

The Group B vaccine only covers serogroup B, and is, therefore, not quadrivalent.

Detailed Answer

Meningococcal disease is an infection caused by Neisseria meningitidis, a type of gram-negative bacteria. This bacterium has 12 different serogroups. Serogroups A, B, C, W, X, and Y are the most common causes of meningococcal disease, which can lead to conditions such as meningitis and sepsis.

To protect against meningococcal disease, different vaccines have been developed.

The Meningococcal quadrivalent vaccines, of which there are 2 commercially available in the United States (Menveo (MenACWY-CRM), MenQuadfi (MenACWY-TT)), provide protection against four serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis: A, C, W, and Y. Again, these serogroups are responsible for the majority of meningococcal disease cases in the United States.

Both of the quadrivalent vaccines provide protection against the serogroups A, C, W, and Y.

Therefore when making your appointment for the Meningococcal (quadrivalent) vaccine for college, make sure you are getting either Menveo or MenQuadfi.

The three meningococcal quadrivalent vaccines can be used interchangeably. However, it is recommended to use the same vaccine for all doses in the vaccination series whenever possible.

You mentioned the meningitis group B vaccine in your question. This vaccine only covers serogroup B, so, again, it is not quadrivalent.

Whether or not someone should get the serogroup B vaccine depends on a few factors, so be sure to talk to your doctor about it.

For example, certain high-risk populations are recommended to get it. This includes people with persistent complement component deficiencies and individuals with anatomic or functional asplenia (such as sickle cell disease).

Some sources recommend the group B vaccine for those aged 16 to 23 years who are going to attend college, while other sources (e.g. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)) only encourage shared clinical decision-making due to the low incidence of serogroup B meningococcal disease in this age group in the United States.

Final Words

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