ATLANTA — Supply problems with the tetravalent meningococcal conjugate vaccine have been resolved, and routine vaccination of 11- to 12-year-olds should be resumed.
That recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices was discussed at the committee's fall meeting.
The supply problem was announced in May of 2006, with Sanofi Pasteur's estimation that demand for Menactra would outpace the supply at least through the summer. At that time, the CDC recommended deferral of routine use of the vaccine in 11- to 12-year-olds (MMWR 2006;55:567–8). Vaccination with MCV4 was to continue in high-risk groups.
More than 6 million doses of Menactra had been distributed by the end of September. Now, an additional 3.5–4.5 million doses are projected to be distributed through March of 2007, enough to allow a return to routine immunization of 11- to 12-year-olds and continuation in all the other recommended groups, said Dr. Gregory S. Wallace, chief of the CDC's Vaccine Supply and Assurance Branch.