Medical Advisory: Updated Meningococcal Immunization Schedule and Program Changes
This memo is to inform you of changes to Ontario’s publicly funded meningococcal immunization schedule and program.
Men-C-C (monovalent conjugate meningococcal serogroup C) vaccines will no longer be available in Canada once current inventory is depleted. As a result, Ontario is transitioning to the use of Men-C-ACYW (quadrivalent conjugate meningococcal serogroups A, C, Y and W) vaccine for routine childhood immunization.
Routine Immunization Schedule Update
Under the updated publicly funded immunization program, routine Men-C-ACYW vaccine should be administered at:
- 12 months of age; and
- When the child reaches Grade 7
Once Health Care Providers’ Men-C-C inventory is depleted, Men-C-ACYW should be used for all routine 12-month doses, and catch-up immunization.
Children who have already received a dose of Men-C-C vaccine at 12 months of age or older do not require revaccination with Men-C-ACYW as a result of this program change. These children will remain eligible for the routine Grade 7 dose of Men-C-ACYW. Please refer to the Publicly Funded Immunization Schedule for information on the High Risk Vaccination program, and vaccine catch-up schedules.
Use During the Transition Period
Any remaining Men-C-C inventory you have on hand should continue to be used prior to transitioning to Men-C-ACYW for routine immunization at 12 months of age.
Health care providers should:
- Continue to administer remaining Men-C-C vaccine inventory until supply is depleted or expired.
- Transition to Men-C-ACYW for routine immunization at 12 months of age, and for catch-up immunization as applicable, once the Men-C-C inventory is depleted.
For additional information and relevant vaccine resources, including Q&As for Health Care Providers: Meningococcal Vaccine Transition, please visit Hamilton Public Health’s Health Care Provider resources at www.hamilton.ca/HCP.
To order vaccine, please use the routine vaccine order form available at www.hamilton.ca/Vaccine-HealthCareProfessionals.
If you have any questions, please contact Hamilton Public Health at [email protected].
Additional Resources
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
