Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2018 Jun;7(2):219-234.
doi: 10.1007/s40121-018-0196-z. Epub 2018 Mar 17.

A Review of Meningococcal Disease and Vaccination Recommendations for Travelers

Lidia C Serra  1 , Laura J York  2 , Amgad Gamil  3 , Paul Balmer  2 , Chris Webber  4
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Meningococcal Disease and Vaccination Recommendations for Travelers

Lidia C Serra et al. Infect Dis Ther. 2018 Jun.

Abstract

International travel has been steadily increasing since the middle of the twentieth century, including travel to regions with high levels of endemic meningococcal disease and areas with sporadic or sustained meningococcal outbreaks. Although invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) is relatively rare in travelers since the advent of quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines, it remains a serious concern because of its rapid progression, poor prognosis and outcomes, associated treatment delays, and the potential to precipitate outbreaks. Moreover, fatality occurs in up to 22% of those infected. This review will focus on IMD in travelers, with an emphasis on IMD epidemiology and the geographic regions of potential concern for international travelers. As vaccination is the best approach for preventing IMD among travelers, currently available meningococcal vaccines and corresponding country-specific national meningococcal vaccination recommendations, where available, will be summarized by age and type of vaccine recommended. The use of the quadrivalent meningococcal vaccines, specifically the tetanus toxoid conjugate vaccine (including MenACWY-TT; Nimenrix®), as a protective measure against IMD in travelers will be emphasized.

Funding: Pfizer Inc.

Keywords: Adults; Invasive meningococcal disease; Meningococcal vaccines; Travelers.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. World Tourism Organization. UNWTO tourism highlights, 2016. Available at: http://www.e-unwto.org/doi/pdf/10.18111/9789284418145. Accessed November 2, 2017. - DOI
    1. Wilder-Smith A. Meningococcal disease in travelers: a rare but devastating disease. J Travel Med. 2010;17(suppl):1–2. doi: 10.1111/j.1708-8305.2010.00451.x. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Pelton SI. The global evolution of meningococcal epidemiology following the introduction of meningococcal vaccines. J Adolesc Health. 2016;59(suppl):S3–S11. doi: 10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.04.012. - DOI - PubMed
    1. von Gottberg A, du Plessis M, Cohen C, et al. Emergence of endemic serogroup W135 meningococcal disease associated with a high mortality rate in South Africa. Clin Infect Dis. 2008;46:377–386. doi: 10.1086/525260. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Meningococcal disease. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/pinkbook/downloads/mening.pdf. Accessed March 23, 2017.

LinkOut - more resources