Immunogenicity and Safety of Pediatric Vaccines When Administered With Menactra® in Healthy Toddlers

No meningococcal vaccine is presently licensed for the population aged < 2 years in the US, establishing the effectiveness of a quadrivalent polysaccharide conjugate vaccine against invasive meningococcal disease in children aged < 2 years would address this important, currently unmet public health need.

At enrollment, each 9-month old subject will be randomly assigned to a study group and vaccinated. A second vaccination will be administered at 12 months of age. Subjects will provide one blood sample during the trial.

Twelve-month old subjects will also be vaccinated with routine pediatric vaccines and provide one blood sample 30 days after vaccinations in the control group

Inclusion criteria

• Healthy, as determined by medical history and physical examination
• Aged 9 months (249 to 291 days) for Groups 1, 2, and 3 or aged 12 months (365 to 386 days) for Group 4 at the time of enrollment
• The parent or legal guardian has signed and dated the Institutional Review Board (IRB)-approved informed consent form.

Exclusion criteria

• Serious acute or chronic disease (e.g., cardiac, renal, metabolic, rheumatologic, psychiatric, hematologic, autoimmune disorders, diabetes, atopic conditions, congenital defects, convulsions, encephalopathy, blood dyscrasias, leukemia, lymphomas of any type, or other malignant neoplasms affecting the bone marrow or lymphatic system, acute untreated tuberculosis) that could interfere with trial conduct or completion
• Known or suspected impairment of immunologic function
• Acute medical illness within the last 72 hours or a temperature ≥ 100.4ºF (≥38.0ºC) at the time of enrollment.
• History of documented invasive meningococcal disease or previous meningococcal vaccination.
• Known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B, or hepatitis C seropositivity as reported by the parent or legal guardian
• Received either immune globulin or other blood products within the last 3 months, or received injected or oral corticosteroids, or other immunomodulator therapy within 6 weeks of the study vaccines. Individuals on a tapering dose schedule of oral steroids lasting < 7 days and individuals (e.g., asthmatics) on a short schedule of oral steroids lasting 3 to 4 days may be included in the trial as long as they have not received more than one course within the last two weeks prior to enrollment. Topical steroids are not included in this exclusion criterion.
• Anticipated to receive oral or injected antibiotic therapy within the 72 hours prior to any blood draw. Topical antibiotics and antibiotic drops are not included in this exclusion criterion.
• Suspected or known hypersensitivity to any of the vaccine components or history of a life-threatening reaction to the study vaccines or a vaccine containing the same substances. For ProQuad vaccine recipients, this includes a hypersensitivity to gelatin or a history of anaphylactic reactions to neomycin.
• Thrombocytopenia or a bleeding disorder contraindicating intramuscular (IM) vaccination.
• Parent or legal guardian unable or unwilling to comply with the study procedures
• Participation in another interventional clinical trial in the 30 days preceding enrollment or planned participation in another clinical trial involving the investigation of a drug, vaccine, medical procedure, or medical device during the subject's trial period.
• Diagnosed with any condition, which, in the opinion of the investigator, would pose a health risk to the subject or interfere with the evaluation of the vaccine
• Received any vaccine in the 30-day period prior to receipt of the study vaccines, or scheduled to receive any vaccination other than influenza vaccination and hyposensitization therapy in the 30-day period after receipt of the study vaccines. Hyposensitization therapy and influenza vaccination may be received up to two weeks before or two weeks after receiving the study vaccines. Subjects should not have received their fourth dose of Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) or Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine or their first dose of Measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (MMRV) vaccine before enrollment or been scheduled to receive these vaccines outside of the study-specified visits.
• Personal or family history of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS)
• History of seizures, including febrile seizures, or any other neurologic disorder
• Known hypersensitivity to dry natural rubber latex.