MenC conjugate vaccine

• pain, tenderness, swelling, or redness at the injection site and mild fevers are common in all age groups
• the most common reactions reported:
  • in infants - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 2-4%; systemic reactions - fever in 2-4%; irritability in 50%
  • in toddlers (12-17 mths) - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 2-3%; systemic reactions - fever in 2-4%; irritability in 19%
  • children 4-11yr - local reactions - redness >3cm in 29%; systemic reactions - headaches in 10%; fever in 1.1%
  • children 12-18yr - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 26%; systemic reactions - headaches in 14%; fever in 2.5%
• in infants and toddlers, crying, irritability, drowsiness, impaired sleep, reduced eating, diarrhoea and vomiting are commonly seen
• in older children and adults headaches, myalgia and drowsiness may be seen
• confirmed anaphylaxis after immunisation is extremely rare, with anaphylactoid reactions reported approximately one in every 500,000 doses
  • other allergic conditions may occur more commonly and are not contraindications to further immunisation
• neurological reactions such as dizziness, febrile/afebrile seizures, faints, numbness and hypotonia following MenC are very rare

Hib/MenC conjugate

• mild side effects such as irritability, loss of appetite, pain, swelling, redness at the site of the injection and slightly raised temperature commonly occur
• Less commonly crying, diarrhoea, vomiting, atopic dermatitis, malaise and fever over 39.5°C have been reported

Meningococcal quadrivalent (ACWY) polysaccharide vaccine

• generalised reactions are rare although pyrexia occurs more frequently in young children than in adults
• injection site reactions occur in approximately 10% of recipients and last for approximately 24 to 48 hours
• confirmed anaphylaxis after immunisation is extremely rare, with anaphylactoid reactions reported approximately one in every 500,000 doses.
• there were no serious adverse effects reported during safety studies
• the most common reactions reported:
• in infants - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 2-4%; systemic reactions - fever in 2-4%; irritability in 50%
• in toddlers (12-17 mths) - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 2-3%; systemic reactions - fever in 2-4%; irritability in 19%
• children 4-11yr - local reactions - redness >3cm in 29%; systemic reactions - headaches in 10%; fever in 1.1%
• children 12-18yr - local reactions - redness > 3cm in 26%; systemic reactions - headaches in 14%; fever in 2.5

Reference:

1. Immunisation Against Infectious Disease - "The Green Book".Chapter 16 Haemophilis influenzae type B (Hib) (August 2006)
2. Start of the new meningococcal C conjugate vaccine immunisation programme (11/10/99)
3. PL/CMO/99/4.PL/CNO/99/8, PL/CPHO/99/3 (2) CMO's Update 27 (August 2000), 4.