Castilla y León, the first community that incorporates the vaccine against meningococci A, C, W and Y to the children's calendar

It is the first autonomous community to take the step and for the opinion of experts, it has the most complete vaccination schedule in Spain. Castilla y León is the first community (the autonomous city of Melilla already did it in 2017) in replacing the conjugate vaccine against meningococcus C by the tetravalent vaccine against meningococci A, C, W and Y, in infants and adolescents at the same time.

This community includes, for its 2019 children's calendar, vaccination against meningococci A, C, W and Y (MenACWY) with a conjugate vaccine at 12 months and at 12 years of age.

To better understand what this improvement means in the vaccination schedule of Castilla y León, we briefly explain what meningitis is as well as the types of meningitis and vaccines that exist to prevent this disease.

What is meningitis?

Meningitis is a very contagious disease It consists of the inflammation of the meninges, membranes that surround the brain and spinal cord. Can be virus produced, more frequent and milder, or by a bacterial infection very aggressive caused by bacteria Neisseria meningitidis, usually called meningococcus.

The second is very rare, but it appears suddenly and spreads very quickly, being able to get to cause death in a few hours. 10 percent of people die and about 30% are left with serious neurological sequelae. The only way to prevent it is by administering the vaccine.

In Babies and more The new meningitis vaccine 'Nimenrix' arrives at pharmacies

Types of meningitis and vaccines

There are different bacteria that cause meningitis. In Spain, most cases of meningococcal disease are caused by bacterium neisseria meningitidis type C and type B.

The vaccine against meningococcus C is included in all vaccination schedules in the country from 4 months subsidized by health, while the vaccine against meningococcus B Bexsero is not subsidized (parents have to buy it at the pharmacy) and it You can apply at any time.

But although less frequent, there are more types of neisseria meningitidis: among them the A, the W and the Y. For them, as well as for type C, there is a vaccine called Nimenrix (from the Pfizer laboratory) and the Menveo vaccine (GSK laboratory) - but this is only administered after two years. They are vaccines known as ACWY tetravalent vaccines because they protect against the four serotypes of the bacteria that cause meningitis at the same time.

In Spain there have been specific cases of these other types of meningitis, but in other countries such as the United Kingdom it has a higher incidence and is included in the official calendar. Just a while ago we talked about the case of a teenage girl who contracted a W135 meningitis that almost ended her life .. Preventing is always better.

When is Nimenrix given?

If the vaccine is given from six weeks of age to 11 months, three doses must be administered. Two of them separated by two months from each other, and the third dose, as a souvenir, once the baby is already more than one year old.

In case the baby or child is older than 12 months one dose is enough. And there is a new dose in adolescence, at 12 years old. After childhood, adolescence is the second stage of life in which meningitis has the highest incidence, so the AEP recommends vaccinating adolescents against meningitis.

Except in Castilla y León (as of 2019) and Melilla, if parents want to vaccinate their children against serotypes A, W and Y that does not cover social security, they have to buy the tetravalent vaccine at the pharmacy for 54 euros each dose.

In Babies and more, they recommend vaccinating adolescents against meningococcal meningitis

Another novelty of the vaccine calendar of Castilla y León

Another important novelty that will start up from 2019 is the incorporation of the nonavalent HPV vaccine (human papillomavirus) to 12-year-old girls, replacing the vaccine with two or four viral types. That is, protection is extended against a greater number of serotypes responsible for cervical cancer.

Why not for everyone?

Without a doubt, these are two very important improvements for the protection of the health of children in Castilla y León, although in my opinion it is insufficient.

Being meningitis B more frequent,for when the Bexsero vaccine subsidy What has a high cost for families? And on the other hand, each community has its own vaccination schedule. when a single calendar without inequalities Throughout the Spanish territory?