Frequently Asked Questions

Vaccine Recommendations

1. What is the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendation for meningococcal vaccination?
   The CDC recommends meningococcal vaccination for all adolescents. The CDC states that all 11-to-12-year-olds should get a meningococcal conjugate (also known as MenACWY vaccine), with a booster dose at 16 years old. Teens and young adults (16 through 23 years old) may also get a MenB vaccine (2-dose series), preferably at 16 through 18 years old. People 10 years or older at increased risk for meningococcal disease should also receive the MenB vaccine. MenABCWY vaccination is an alternative option for patients aged 10 or older who are getting MenACWY and MenB vaccines at the same visit. 
   

2. The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends the MenB vaccine for healthy 16-23-year-olds on the basis of shared clinical decision-making. What does that mean?
   Shared clinical decision-making recommendations are individually based and informed by a decision process between the health care provider and the patient or parent/guardian. The decision about whether or not to vaccinate may be informed by the best available evidence of who may benefit from vaccination; the individual’s characteristics, values, and preferences; the health care provider’s clinical discretion; and the characteristics of the vaccine being considered. There is not a prescribed set of considerations or decision points in the decision-making process.
   

3. My child has already been vaccinated against meningococcal meningitis. Do they need any other meningitis vaccine?
   There are 5 vaccine-preventable groups (A, B, C, W, Y) of meningococcal meningitis in the U.S. The meningitis vaccine your child may have received when they were younger didn’t cover Meningitis B. To help protect against ALL vaccine-preventable groups of meningitis, ensure you are vaccinated against ALL 5 types of meningococcal bacteria most likely to cause meningococcal meningitis: A–B–C–W–Y.

Types of Vaccines

1. What brands of MenACWY vaccines are there?
   Menveo® and MenQuadfi® are the two brands of MenACWY vaccines – also known as meningococcal conjugate vaccines – available in the U.S. Both vaccines help protect against serogroups A, C, W, and Y.  MenACWY vaccines are interchangeable; the same vaccine product is recommended, but not required for all doses.
   

2. What brands of MenB vaccines are there?
   Bexsero® and Trumenba® are the two brands of MenB vaccines available in the U.S. Both vaccines help protect against meningococcal serogroup B.
   

3. What brand of MenABCWY vaccines are there?
   Penbraya™ is the only brand of MenABCWY vaccine at this time.
   

4. What brand of meningococcal vaccines should I get?
   The CDC has no preference on which brands are used. For MenACWY: Menveo® and MenQuadfi® are interchangeable; however, using the same vaccine product is recommended but not required for all doses. For MenB: Bexsero® and Trumenba® are not interchangeable and both brands require multiple doses. People must get the same vaccine brand for all doses. If an adolescent receives different products for any of the doses, proceed with the next scheduled dose of the selected product with a minimum of 1 month from the last dose of either product. For MenABCWY: Penbraya™ is currently the only brand.

Number of Doses

1. How many doses of MenACWY are needed?
   For both Menveo® and MenQuadfi®, 1 primary dose is recommended for people aged 11 or 12 who are not at an increased risk of meningococcal disease. One booster dose at 16 years of age is recommended. The ACIP recommends booster doses – based on age or risk factors – after completion of the primary series for those at prolonged increased risk for meningococcal meningitis. Talk to your healthcare provider about your risk and recommended booster doses. The minimum interval between doses is at least 8 weeks.
   

2. How many doses of MenB are needed?
   For both Bexsero and Trumenba, more than one dose is required for maximum protection. A 2-dose series is required for people aged 16-23 who are not at an increased risk of meningococcal disease: If using Bexsero®: the second dose should be given at least 1 month after the first dose. If using Trumenba®: the second dose should be given at least 6 months after the first dose. For people, aged 10 years and older at increased risk of Meningitis B, the ACIP recommends that 3 doses of Trumenba be administered at 0, 1–2, and 6 months.
   

3. Can the MenACWY and MenB vaccines be administered at the same time?
   Yes! Some providers recommend that 16-year-olds receive the first dose of the MenB vaccine at the same time that they receive the second dose of the MenACWY vaccine. An alternative to receiving both the MenACWY and the MenB vaccine at the same visit is receiving the MenABCWY vaccine. If receiving the MenABCWY vaccine, a second MenB vaccine will need to be administered 6 months later.

Cost

1. Does insurance cover meningococcal vaccines? Yes. Most private insurers are likely to cover the meningococcal vaccines for teens and young adults. In addition, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program will provide meningococcal vaccines at no cost for eligible students through age 18.

2. How much does the pentavalent vaccine cost? The list price of the Penbraya vaccine is $230.75. However, this price can vary significantly depending on the contract and potential discounting with each customer, as vaccine manufacturers negotiate directly with providers. The cost per dose of the Penbraya vaccine for the VFC program is $189.35.

Other Forms of Meningitis

The American Society for Meningitis Prevention is currently focused on preventing meningococcal meningitis. For resources and information on other forms of meningitis, we recommend visiting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's dedicated meningitis page on meningitis.