Patient's question:
At 6 months, the first dose of group A meningococcal vaccine, at 9 months, the second dose of group A meningococcal vaccine, and at 3 years and 6 years, an additional dose of the A+C polysaccharide vaccine is administered respectively. My son was born in March 2010. Based on the doctor's recommendation, he received the better A+C combined vaccine instead of the group A meningococcal vaccine before the age of 2. The question I want to ask is: 1. Do I still need to get booster shots at 3 years and 6 years?Doctor's answer:
The meningococcal AC fusion vaccine and the meningococcal AC polysaccharide vaccine are essentially the same. Previously, we commonly used the meningococcal AC polysaccharide vaccine, but its automatic immunity effect was not very ideal (especially for children under two years old). Therefore, researchers coupled the meningococcal AC polysaccharide vaccine with proteins, which then led to the development of the meningococcal AC fusion vaccine. This vaccine has a better automatic immunity effect compared to the polysaccharide vaccine.In your case:
1. You still need to get a booster shot at age 3 and 6.
2. It is best to choose the polysaccharide vaccine for the booster shot, as the immune systems of children at 3 and 6 years old have basically improved, allowing them to produce an effective automatic immune response to the polysaccharide vaccine. In contrast, the fusion vaccine is mostly coupled with protein components from diphtheria or tetanus toxoids, which may potentially cause adverse reactions.