College freshman living in dorms and adolescents entering high school are moving to the head of the line to receive Menactra, following the manufacturer's announcement that it won't be able to meet demand for the meningococcal vaccine at least through this summer.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced in May that Sanofi Pasteur Inc., maker of the tetravalent meningococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate vaccine (MCV4), expects demand for the vaccine to exceed supply (MMWR May 19, 2006/55[Dispatch];1).
The CDC recommends continuing to vaccinate adolescents entering high school and college freshman living in dorms. The company anticipates that enough MCV4 will be available for these two groups. Vaccination of children aged 11–12 years should be deferred until further notice.
Other high-risk groups that should be vaccinated include military recruits, travelers to areas where meningococcal disease is hyperendemic or epidemic, microbiologists who are routinely exposed to isolates of Neisseria meningitidis, and people with anatomic or functional asplenia or terminal complement deficiency.
For vaccine supply updates, visit www.cdc.gov/nip/news/shortages/default.htmwww.vaccineshoppe.com