The best way to have protection against meningococcal disease is to receive the meningococcal vaccines.
There are 3 types of meningococcal vaccines used in the United States:
For more information about meningococcal vaccines and situations when meningococcal vaccines are recommended for children and adults, visit this CDC webpage on meningococcal vaccination.
MenACWY:
Men B:
If pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor to decide if the benefits outweigh the risks of vaccination.
There are many places to get the meningococcal vaccine. If you have insurance, talk to your doctor or check with your local pharmacy to see what vaccines are offered. Most health insurances cover the cost of all recommended vaccines for children and adults.
If you are uninsured or underinsured, there are programs available to help cover the cost of vaccines. Children who are 18 years of age or younger are eligible to receive vaccines at no cost through the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program if they are:
Click to see if your child is eligible to receive VFC vaccines: English | Spanish
Uninsured or underinsured adults can access free or low cost vaccines at select clinics enrolled in the Vaccines for Adults (VFA) program. For more information on who is eligible, read VFA Eligibility Based on Insurance Status. You can use the following resources for more information on locating clinics:
You can also dial 2-1-1 for a list of free or low cost vaccine clinics. This includes Vaccines for Children (VFC) provider locations that serve Medi-Cal eligible children and uninsured or underinsured adults. Learn more about specific vaccine information for different age groups:
Are you not sure if you have been vaccinated against meningococcal disease or you can’t find your vaccine records?
If you need official copies of your vaccine records, or if you need to update your personal records:
For more information, please see Invasive Meningococcal Disease.
MenACWY Vaccine
Two quadrivalent meningococcal conjugate (MenACWY) vaccines are currently licensed and available in the United States: Menveo® or MenQuadfi®
Routine MenACWY Vaccination of Adolescents
CDC recommends routine vaccination with a single dose of MenACWY (Menveo or MenQuadfi) for pre-teens aged 11 –12 years. Since protection wanes, a booster dose is recommended at 16 years of age. The booster dose provides protection during the ages when adolescents are at highest risk of meningococcal disease.
MenACWY Vaccination of Young Children and Adults at Increased Risk
CDC recommends routine vaccination with MenACWY for persons aged ≥2 months at increased risk for meningococcal disease, including:
Persons who remain at increased risk will need regular booster doses.
See Meningococcal Vaccines- High-Risk Populations for more details.
MenB Vaccine
CDC recommends vaccination of healthy adolescents or young adults aged 16-23 years (preferred age is 16-18 years) with a MenB series with shared clinical decision-making. Administering MenB vaccine at the preferred age range maximizes the likelihood that vaccinated adolescents will have protection during the time when they are at highest risk.
Certain children (>10 years old) and adults should receive this vaccine if they:
Persons who remain at increased risk need regular booster doses.
Both MenB vaccine products require more than 1 dose for maximum protection and may require additional boosters if individuals remain at increased risk. Use the same brand of MenB vaccine for each dose in the series.
Pentavalent Meningococcal Vaccine (MenACWY – MenB)
CDC recommends pentavalent meningococcal vaccine (MenABCWY Penbraya™) as an option for patients aged 10 – 25 years receiving MenACWY and MenB vaccines (Trumenba) at the same visit. This includes:
If a MenACWY-MenB is not available, administer MenACWY and MenB vaccines as two separate vaccinations. If Penbraya is given, additional doses of Men B vaccine should be Trumenba (when MenACWY is not indicated) or Penbrava (when MenACWY is indicated).
All meningococcal vaccines can be administered with other vaccines, including HPV and Tdap which are usually administered during the preteen and adolescent visits.
For routine meningococcal vaccine guidance, view the Meningococcal Vaccines for Adolescents and Young Adults: Routine Risk job-aid. Guidance for high- risk populations can be found here.
Vaccine AE reporting
Report any adverse events to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System at 1-800-822-7967 or online at https://vaers.hhs.gov/.