IN THE UK, PRIMARY IMMUNISATION IS RECOMMENDED DURING INFANCY WHEREAS IN THE USA ROUTINE IMMUNISATION IS RECOMMENDED DURING ADOLESCENCE. IN THE UK, A CONJUGATE MENINGOCOCCAL C VACCINE IS USED AND IS GENERALLY GIVEN BY INTRAMUSCULAR INJECTION WITH THE SUBCUTANEOUS ROUTE RESERVED FOR PATIENTS WITH HAEMOPHILIA OR THROMBOCYTOPENIA. INFANTS, STARTING AT 2 MONTHS OF AGE, ARE GIVEN 3 DOSES OF 0.5 ML AT MONTHLY INTERVALS. IF PRIMARY IMMUNISATION IS DELAYED UNTIL 5 MONTHS OF AGE THEN 2 DOSES, ONE MONTH APART, ARE SUFFICIENT; CHILDREN OVER 1 YEAR OF AGE AND ADULTS SHOULD BE GIVEN A SINGLE DOSE ONLY. IN THE USA, ROUTINE IMMUNISATION WITH A SINGLE DOSE, GIVEN INTRAMUSCULARLY, OF A CONJUGATE TETRAVALENT VACCINE FROM GROUPS A, C, Y, AND W135 IS PERFORMED AT 11 TO 12 YEARS OF AGE. FOR DISCUSSION OF IMMUNISATION SCHEDULES SEE UNDER VACCINES, .
A MENINGOCOCCAL GROUP B VACCINE HAS BEEN DEVELOPED IN NEW ZEALAND AND CONTAINS OUTER MEMBRANE VESICLES FROM N. MENINGITIDIS GROUP B STRAIN NZ 98/254. IT IS GIVEN FOR PRIMARY IMMUNISATION AGAINST THE NEW ZEALAND STRAIN (P1.7-B,4* PORA PROTEIN) OF GROUP B MENINGOCOCCAL DISEASE. ADULTS AND CHILDREN OVER 6 MONTHS OLD ARE GIVEN THREE DOSES OF 0.5 ML AT INTERVALS OF 6 WEEKS INTRAMUSCULARLY; INFANTS LESS THAN 6 MONTHS OLD SHOULD BE GIVEN 4 DOSES, AT 6 WEEKS, 3 MONTHS, 5 MONTHS, AND 10 MONTHS OF AGE.