What is Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Meningococcal disease is a serious infection caused by a bacteria. Meningococcal bacteria can infect the blood, spinal cord, and brain. These conditions can be fatal.
Meningococcal disease can spread from one person to another through small droplets of saliva that are expelled into the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. The bacteria can also be passed through contact with objects the infected person has touched, such as a door handle, or other surface. The bacteria can also be passed through kissing, or sharing a drinking glass or eating utensil with an infected person.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine is used to prevent infection caused by meningococcal bacteria. The vaccine contains four of the most common types of meningococcal bacteria.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine works by exposing you to a small dose of the bacteria or a protein from the bacteria, which causes your body to develop immunity to the disease. This vaccine will not treat an active infection that has already developed in the body.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine is for use in children and adults between the ages of 2 and 55 years old.
Like any vaccine, meningococcal conjugate vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.
Becoming infected with meningitis (infection of the spinal cord and lining of the brain) is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.

What is the most important information I should know about Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Do not receive this vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a meningococcal or a diphtheria vaccine, if you are allergic to latex rubber, or if you have a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome.
Before receiving meningococcal conjugate vaccine, tell your doctor if you have a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, a weak immune system, or if you are receiving steroids, chemotherapy, or radiation treatment. If you have any of these conditions, your vaccine may need to be postponed or not given at all.
You may feel faint after receiving this vaccine. Some people have had seizure-like reactions after receiving this vaccine. Your doctor may want you to remain under observation during the first 15 minutes after the injection.
Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. If you ever need to receive another meningococcal vaccine in the future, you will need to tell the doctor if the first shot caused any side effects.
You can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you recover before receiving this vaccine.
Becoming infected with meningitis is much more dangerous to your health than receiving this vaccine. However, like any medicine, this vaccine can cause side effects but the risk of serious side effects is extremely low.
Like any vaccine, meningococcal conjugate vaccine may not provide protection from disease in every person.

What should I discuss with my healthcare provider before takingMeningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Do not receive this vaccine if you have ever had an allergic reaction to a diphtheria or a meningococcal vaccine, or if you have:

a history of Guillain-Barre syndrome; or
if you are allergic to latex rubber

If you have any of these other conditions, your vaccine may need to be postponed or not given at all:

a bleeding or blood clotting disorder, such as hemophilia
any condition that weakens the immune system (such as HIV, AIDS, or cancer); or
if you are receiving steroids, chemotherapy, or radiation treatments

If you have any of these conditions, you may not be able to receive meningococcal conjugate vaccine, or you may need to wait until your condition changes or you have completed your treatments.
FDA pregnancy category C. This vaccine may be harmful to an unborn baby. Tell your doctor if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant soon after receiving the vaccine.
Your name may need to be listed on a registry of women who receive a meningococcal vaccine during pregnancy if you receive this vaccine while you are pregnant. The purpose of this registry is to track the outcome of your pregnancy and the birth of your child so that health department authorities are notified of any unwanted effects on the baby.
It is not known whether meningococcal conjugate vaccine passes into breast milk or if it could harm a nursing baby. Do not use this medication without telling your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
The Menactra brand of this vaccine should not be given to anyone younger than 2 or older than 55 years of age. The Menveo brand should not be given to anyone younger than 11 or older than 55.

Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine Side Effects

What are the possible side effects of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Keep track of any and all side effects you have after receiving this vaccine. If you ever have to receive another meningococcal vaccine in the future, you will need to tell the doctor if the first shot caused any side effects.
Get emergency medical help if you have any of these signs of an allergic reaction: hives; difficulty breathing; swelling of your face, lips, tongue, or throat.
You may feel faint after receiving this vaccine. Some people have had seizure-like reactions after receiving this vaccine. Your doctor may want you to remain under observation during the first 15 minutes after the injection.
Call your doctor at once if you have any of these serious side effects:

severe weakness or unusual feeling in your arms and legs (may occur 2 to 4 weeks after you receive the vaccine)
high fever; or
unusual bleeding

Less serious side effects may be more likely to occur, such as:

low fever, chills
redness, pain, swelling, or a lump where the vaccine was injected
headache, weakness, tired feeling
joint or muscle pain
diarrhea
nausea, vomiting, loss of appetite; or

mild skin rash

This is not a complete list of side effects and others may occur. Call your doctor for medical advice about side effects. You may report vaccine side effects to the US Department of Health and Human Services at 1-800-822-7967.

Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine Interactions

What other drugs affect Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Before receiving this vaccine, tell the doctor about all other vaccines you have recently received.
Also tell the doctor if you are using a blood thinner (warfarin, Coumadin), or if you have recently received drugs or treatments that can weaken the immune system, including:

an oral, nasal, inhaled, or injectable steroid medicine
medications to treat psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, or other autoimmune disorders, such as azathioprine (Imuran), efalizumab (Raptiva), etanercept (Enbrel), leflunomide (Arava), and others; or
medicines to treat or prevent organ transplant rejection, such as basiliximab (Simulect), cyclosporine (Sandimmune, Neoral, Gengraf), muromonab-CD3 (Orthoclone), mycophenolate mofetil (CellCept), sirolimus (Rapamune), or tacrolimus (Prograf)

This list is not complete and other drugs may interact with meningococcal conjugate vaccine. Tell your doctor about all medications you use. This includes prescription, over-the-counter, vitamin, and herbal products. Do not start a new medication without telling your doctor.

What should I avoid while taking Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Follow your doctor’s instructions about any restrictions on food, beverages, or activity.

Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine Dosage

How should I take Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

This vaccine is given as a shot into a muscle of your upper arm. You will receive this injection in a doctor’s office or other clinic setting.
Meningococcal conjugate vaccine is recommended in the following situations:

for all children 2 to 18 years old
for people who are in the military
for laboratory workers who are routinely exposed to meningococcal bacteria
for people who live in dormitories or other group housing; and
for people who travel or live among certain populations where meningococcal outbreak is common

You can still receive a vaccine if you have a minor cold. In the case of a more severe illness with a fever or any type of infection, wait until you recover before receiving this vaccine.
Your doctor may recommend treating fever and pain with an aspirin-free pain reliever such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Motrin, Advil, and others) when the shot is given and for the next 24 hours. Follow the label directions or your doctor’s instructions about how much of this medicine to give your child.

What happens if I overdose on Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

An overdose of this vaccine is not likely to occur.

What happens if I miss a dose of Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine?

Since meningococcal conjugate vaccine is given as a single injection, you are not likely to be on a booster schedule.
Edited from everydayhealth.com

Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccine