Adverse events temporally associated with meningococcal vaccines

Andrée Yergeau,* MD, CMFC; Louise Alain,*# BScN, MSc; Robert Pless,*& MD, MSc; Yves Robert,§ MD

Canadian Medical Association Journal 1996; 154: 503-507

From *the Field Epidemiology Division and &the Childhood Immunization Division, Laboratory Centre for Disease Control, Ottawa, Ont., #Direction de la protection de la santé publique, Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux du Québec, Quebec City, Que., and §Direction de Santé publique des Laurentides and the Department of Social and Preventive Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montreal, Que.

Paper reprints of the full text may be obtained from: Dr. Andrée Yergeau, 40, Beausoleil, Gatineau QC J8T 7H5

Abstract

Objective: To determine the incidence of severe adverse events temporally associated with meningococcal vaccines administered as part of a mass vaccination program.
Design: Retrospective descriptive study of events reported to a passive provincial surveillance system.
Setting: The province of Quebec.
Participants: The 1 198 751 individuals aged 6 months to 20 years who were vaccinated against meningococcal disease between Dec. 27, 1992, and Mar. 31, 1993.
Outcome measures: Total numbers and rates of severe adverse events, including allergic reactions, anaphylactic reactions, neurological events (other than abnormal crying and screaming) and other serious or unusual events.
Results: A total of 118 reports of severe adverse events were selected from the surveillance system. The most frequent were allergic reactions (9.2 per 100 000 doses). Few anaphylactic or neurologic reactions were reported (0.1 and 0.5 per 100 000 doses respectively). There were no reports of sequelae or of encephalopathy, meningitis or encephalitis.
Conclusion: Meningococcal vaccines seem to be associated with fewer adverse events than have previously been reported. Existing surveillance programs are useful for determining the incidence of adverse events temporally associated with vaccines.

| CMAJ February 15, 1996 (vol 154, no 4) |