Meningitis C vaccines

Protect your child against meningitis C – one of the most common strains of meningitis

Type of vaccine

Various

Protects against

Meningitis C

Primary course

2-3 doses

Boosters

Yes

Suitable for ages

From 8 weeks

What is the meningitis C vaccine?

Meningococcal disease can be caused by various types of meningococcal bacterium and can result in serious illnesses such as meningitis and blood poisoning. All age groups can get meningococcal disease but it is most common in infants, children and adolescents.

Meningococcal disease results in death in approximately 10-15% of cases. Among the people who survive a further 10-20% suffer devastating and life-long effects such as brain injury, scarring, hearing loss, or even the partial or full amputation of a limb.

There are at least 13 different types of meningococcus but nearly all disease is caused by one of six groups: A, B, C, W-135, X and Y.

There are two different vaccines that protect against meningitis C. During your consultation, we’ll be able to advise you about which would be most suitable for your child.

How do the meningitis C vaccines work?

Children are given conjugate vaccines to protect against meningitis C as polysaccharide meningitis vaccines do not work in children under two years of age.

Nimenrix protects against the A, C, W-135 and Y strains of meningococcal disease. This is a conjugated vaccine, which means that it contains small amounts of sugars from four groups of meningococcal bacterium. These sugars are joined to a non-toxic protein from tetanus, which helps to strengthen the immune response.

Menitorix is an aluminium-free combined conjugate vaccination that provides protection against Hib (including meningitis caused by the Hib bacteria) and meningitis C.

Who should have a meningitis C vaccine?

It is recommended that all children are vaccinated against meningitis C.

Meningitis C vaccines FAQs

Nimenrix has been shown to be at least as effective as comparable vaccines at stimulating an immune response to the four groups of the N. meningitidis bacterium (A, C, W-135 and Y) in people of different age groups.

The vaccine provides good immunity when given as a single dose from six months of age. It protects against four types of meningococcal infection, providing a small increase in protection in the UK, but a large increase in protection for parts of the world where the three additional types cause a far greater proportion of meningococcal infections than they do in the UK.

Menitorix (the combined Hib-Men C) vaccine is estimated to be 93% effective within the first year of the primary course when given to infants but the protection may wane slightly after this time, which is why a booster may be offered. In children who received their primary dose after 12 months, effectiveness is estimated to sit between 83-100%.

Like all vaccines, meningococcal vaccines can cause side effects. For the majority of people, they’re mild.

MenACWY (Nimenrix)

Very common reactions (these may occur in more than one in 10 doses of the Nimenrix vaccination)

  • Loss of appetite
  • Irritability
  • Drowsiness
  • Headache
  • Fever

Common (these may occur with up to one in 10 doses of the vaccine):

  • Bruising (haematoma) where the injection is given
  • Stomach and digestion problems such as diarrhoea, vomiting and nausea
  • Rash (infants)

Uncommon (these may occur with up to one in 100 doses of the vaccine):

  • Rash
  • Crying
  • Itching
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Aching muscles
  • Pain in the arms or legs
  • Generally feeling unwell
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Decreased feeling or sensitivity, especially in the skin
  • Reactions where the injection is given such as itching, a feeling of warmth or numbness or a hard lump

Not known: frequency cannot be estimated from the available data

  • Injection site swelling and redness; may affect a large area of the vaccinated limb
  • Enlarged lymph nodes

If they occur, these reactions usually get better on their own within one to two days. Serious reactions are possible but rare.

HiB/MenC (Menitorix)

In clinical trials that involved giving Menitorix for the first vaccinations against Hib and MenC or to boost protection against these diseases, the side effects that occurred after vaccination were:

Very common (these may occur with more than one in 10 doses of the vaccine):

  • Pain, redness or swelling at the site of the injection
  • Fever (temperature of 38°C or above)
  • Irritability
  • Loss of appetite
  • Sleepiness

Common (these may occur with up to one in 10 doses of the vaccine):

  • Injection site reaction, such as hard lump

Uncommon (these may occur with up to one in 100 doses of the vaccine):

  • Crying
  • Diarrhoea
  • Being sick
  • Skin allergies
  • Fever more than 39.5°C
  • Rash

Rare (these may occur with up to one in 1,000 doses of the vaccine):

  • Abdominal pain
  • Sleeplessness
  • Generally feeling unwell

Other side effects have occurred in the days or weeks after vaccination with Menitorix. The frequency cannot be estimated from the available data. They include:

  • Allergic reactions (these can be recognised by an itchy rash of the hands and feet, swelling of the eyes and face, difficulty in breathing or swallowing)
  • Swelling of the glands
  • Dizziness
  • Convulsions (fits) with high temperature
  • Unusual muscle slackness
  • Headache

In babies born very prematurely (at or before 28 weeks of gestation), longer gaps than normal between breaths may occur for two to three days after vaccination.

Please let us know if your child has a history of allergies or is allergic to any of the ingredients in the meningitis C vaccines or if they have had an allergic reaction to a vaccine for tetanus or diphtheria. We can then identify the best vaccine for your child.

Do also tell us if your child is taking any medication or has any conditions that may affect their immune system.

The preferred injection site for infants and younger children is the upper thigh. The vaccine is usually given in the upper arm to older children and adults.

Data suggests that Nimenrix provides protection against disease caused by meningococcal groups C, Y and W for approximately five years after immunisation (see Table 5, pages 13-15 in the document we’ve linked to), after which a booster dose may be required to prolong the benefits. As you will see in Table 6 in the linked document above, antibody persistence may remain in some people for up to 10 years.

Studies into the efficacy of Menitorix found that 100% of children who had received the full course of this vaccine and a booster dose continued to have antibodies for meningitis C at five years of age. However, protection does seem to decrease over time and a booster dose may be necessary in the future.

No vaccine protects against all types of meningitis, so it is important to remain vigilant.

MenACWY (Nimenrix) is an aluminium-free vaccine that can be given as a single dose from six months of age or as two doses at age two months and four months. Your child will also be offered a booster dose at 12 years old.

The Hib/MenC (Menitorix) vaccine is aluminium-free and can be given as a course of two doses during the first year of life followed by a booster from 12 months or just as a single dose if given from 12 months onwards.

Yes, a booster injection may be required to lengthen the protection offered by the initial vaccination. This will be discussed with you during the consultation appointment.

Yes, adults can have a vaccination for meningitis C. This might be recommended for someone who has a damaged spleen, for example, or if the adult is travelling to or planning to live in a country with high rates of meningitis. A vaccination might also be recommended for university students living in halls of residence or military recruits.

We would always recommend that you discuss this with your GP.

Yes, a vaccine for meningitis C can usually be given at the same time as other vaccines, although we may need to give any other injections in a different arm or leg.

If Nimenrix is not given at the same time as a tetanus-containing vaccine, then a minimum gap of four weeks should be observed before a tetanus-containing vaccine is given.

Children are given the Hib/MenC vaccine at 12 months old through the NHS.

The MenACWY vaccine is routinely offered to children aged 13 to 15 (school year 9 or 10) alongside the 3-in-1 teenage booster. Any young person who misses out on having the MenACWY vaccine at school can request to have it up to their 25th birthday.

Meningitis C vaccine ingredients

Name: Nimenrix (Quadrivalent meningococcal group A,C,W135&Y vaccine)

Age: Suitable from six weeks

Manufacturer: Pfizer

Active ingredients: 5μg meningococcal group A oligosaccharide, 5μg meningococcal group C oligosaccharide, 5μg meningococcal group W135 oligosaccharide, 5μg meningococcal group Y oligosaccharide, 44μg tetanus toxoid (as conjugate)

Other ingredients: Powder: Sucrose, Trometamol, Solvent: Sodium Chloride, water for injections

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: Nil

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products? No

Licensed for use in the UK

Nimenrix patient information leaflet: Click to view

Name: Menitorix (Double Hib & Men C vaccine)

Age: Suitable from eight weeks

Manufacturer: GlaxoSmithKline

Active ingredients: 5μg Haemophilus type b polysaccharide
(polyribosylribitol phosphate) conjugated to 12.5μg tetanus toxoid as carrier protein; 5μg Neisseria meningitidis group C (strain C11) polysaccharide conjugated to 5μg tetanus toxoid as carrier protein 

Other ingredients: Powder: Trometamol, Sucrose, Solvent: Sodium Chloride, water for injections

Mercury content: Nil

Aluminium content: Nil

Contains porcine gelatin?: No

Contains dairy products? No

Licensed for use in the UK

Menitorix patient information leaflet: Click to view

Aftercare

We’ll give you detailed aftercare advice for your child after their vaccination(s), including what to do in the event of any side effects.

Your child may experience some redness, tenderness and/or swelling at the injection site, so it’s helpful to expect this. These side effects should self-resolve within a few days.

You can download our Patient Aftercare leaflet here.

If your child is unwell outside of clinic hours, please call 111 for advice or go to A&E if they need urgent medical attention.

Individual advice about the meningitis C vaccination

Need advice about vaccinations for meningitis C? The BabyJabs team is here to listen and answer your questions to help you decide.