Impact of Meningococcal ACWY conjugate vaccines on pharyngeal carriage in adolescents: Evidence for herd protection from the UK MenACWY programme

This document describes an evaluation of the MenACWY vaccination program aimed at reducing meningococcal carriage among UK school students aged 15 to 19 years. The program, which began in 2015, targeted adolescents with a staggered catch-up phase and a community catch-up for 20-25-year-olds. The evaluation used large-scale carriage studies, including the UKMenCar1-4 surveys and the 'Be on the TEAM' study, which employed swab sample collection, serogrouping, and whole genome sequencing. Results indicated a significant decrease in carriage of genogroups C, W, and Y, suggesting herd protection, while genogroup B carriage remained unchanged. Risk factors for carriage, such as smoking and party attendance, were also assessed. The study's strengths included a large sample size and consistent methodology, while limitations included its observational nature and sampling timing. The evaluation concluded that the MenACWY vaccination program effectively reduced meningococcal carriage and invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) incidence, providing both direct and herd protection. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation
• Impact methods: Generic research method
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: July 2022

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes