Rachel Meyers, PharmD
Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist,
Cooperman Barnabas Medical Center
In October of 2023, the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) approved Penbraya™, a pentavalent meningococcal vaccine targeted at five serogroups of Neisseria meningitidis (A, B, C, W, and Y). Penbraya™ is approved for patients ages 10 – 25 years of age and is the first meningococcal vaccine to cover five serogroups. The recommendation from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) is that Penbraya™ may be administered when both MenACWY and MenB vaccines are indicated at the same visit. It should be noted that when Penbraya™ is used, Trumenba® should be used as the second dose of MenB; Trumenba® and Bexsero® are not interchangeable. The advantage of PENBRAYA® is that one fewer doses are needed to achieve complete vaccination for meningococcal disease. A summary of the dosing schedule for children not at increased risk of meningococcal disease is provided in the table.
Some patients may require earlier administration of MenB vaccines, beginning at age 10 years. These include patients with anatomic or functional asplenia (including sickle cell disease), persistent complement component deficiency, or complement inhibitor use (eculizumab, ravulizumab). Similarly to older, non high-risk patients, these patients may receive Penbraya™ when both MenACWY and MenB vaccines are indicated at the same visit.
Meningococcal Vaccination Recommendations for Children Not at Increased Risk
The ASP, representing pediatric providers, including pediatric infectious disease specialists and pharmacists, exchange ideas, discuss case management strategies and develop and implement guidelines to be shared system wide, as well as serve as a resource for community physicians.
For more educational information, research and best practices from the Children’s Health Network at RWJBarnabas Health, visit rwjbh.org/childrenshealthresearch.
Resources
Penbraya. Package insert. Pfizer. 2024.
Centers for Disease Control. Child and adolescent immunization schedule by age. Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/hcp/imz-schedules/child-adolescent-age.html Accessed August 29, 2024.
Centers for Disease Control. Use of the Pfizer pentavalent meningococcal vaccine among persons aged ≥10 years: Recommendations of the advisory committee on immunization practices – United States, 2023. MMWR. 73(15):345-350.