FDA approves Sanofi Pasteur's Menactra as a booster vaccine

SWIFTWATER, Pa. — Sanofi Pasteur announced that the Food and Drug Administration approved the use of Menactra [meningococcal (groups A, C, Y and W-135) polysaccharide diphtheria toxoid conjugate vaccine] as a booster vaccination against meningococcal disease in people ages 15 years through 55 years. Meningococcal disease is a bacterial infection that affects 800 to 1,200 Americans each year, the company stated. 

 

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends routine administration of a meningococcal conjugate vaccine to adolescents ages 11 years through 18 years. The CDC specicially recommends one dose of vaccine at age 11 years or 12 years, with a booster shot at 16 years old to protect teens and young adults during a period when they are at an increased risk for contracting the disease. 

 

"The FDA's approval of the Menactra booster vaccination gives healthcare providers the option to use a meningococcal conjugate vaccine that is approved for both primary and booster immunization, which aligns with the CDC's recommendations for preventing cases of meningococcal meningitis," said David P. Greenberg, M.D., VP, U.S. scientific and medical affairs, Sanofi Pasteur. "With this approval, we hope healthcare providers are reminded to talk to their teen patients and their parents about the CDC's recommendations, ultimately helping to improve booster immunization rates for teens across the country."