Diversity of Canadian meningococcal serogroup B isolates and estimated coverage by an investigational meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (4CMenB)

• DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2013.03.063
• Publication Date: 2013-04-17T04:03:26Z
• Authors: Julie A. Bettinger; David W. Scheifele; Scott A. Halperin; Wendy Vaudry; Jamie Findlow; Ray Borrow; Duccio Medini; Raymond Tsang
• Keywords: Male; Canada; Meningococcal Vaccines; Meningitis, Meningococcal; Neisseria meningitidis, Serogroup B; 630; 03 medical and health sciences; Immunology and Microbiology(all); Prevalence; Humans; Meningitis; Child; Antigens, Bacterial; 0303 health sciences; Immunization Programs; Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health; Infant, Newborn; Meningococcal Antigen Typing System; Invasive meningococcal disease; Infant; veterinary(all); 3. Good health; Serogroup B vaccines; Infectious Diseases; 4CMenB coverage; Child, Preschool; Population Surveillance; Molecular Medicine

Background: In collaboration with the Canadian Immunization Monitoring Program Active (IMPACT), the National Microbiology Laboratory,the UK Health Protection Agency and Novartis Vaccines, we tested the potential of an investigational 4-component meningococcal B vaccine (4CMenB) to cover Canadian strains circulating from 2006 to 2009. Methods: IMPACT meningococcal surveillance is population based and includes over 50% of Canadian adults and children. All isolates were characterized by Meningococcal Antigen Typing System (MATS) and sequencing for factor H-binding protein (fHbp), Neisseria Heparin Binding Antigen (NHBA) and Neisserial adhesin A(NadA). Results: In total, 157 isolates were tested. Overall, 4CMenB MATS predicted strain coverage was 66% (95% CI: 46–78%), with 26%, 29% and 11% of strains covered by one,two and three vaccine antigens, respectively. The coverage of each antigen was as follows: 13% PorA, 1% NadA, 52% fHbp and 51% NHBA.The majority of strains for clonal complex (cc) 1/44 and cc 60 were covered by NHBA; the majority of strains for cc269 and cc32 were covered by fHbp and NHBA. Coverage for two prevalent strains (sequence type (ST)-269 and ST-154)was 95% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions: 4CMenB has the potential to protect against a significant proportion of Canadian invasive MenB strains.