FDA expands age range for Menactra

The US Food and Drug Administration has expanded the approved age range for Menactra, a bacterial meningitis vaccine, to include children aged two to 10 years.

Meningitis is a serious inflammation of the lining that surrounds the spinal cord and brain. It can result in death or permanent injury to the brain and nervous system. In the USA, about 2,600 people become ill from bacterial meningitis annually. About 10% die from the infection and another 15% or so suffer brain damage or limb amputation.

Menactra was first approved by the FDA in January 2005 for people ages 11 to 55 years. Previously, Menomune was the only meningococcal vaccine available in the USA for use in children, aged two years and older. Both products are manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur, a subsidiary of French drug major Sanofi-Aventis, and offer protection against four groups of Neisseria meningitidis, the bacterium that can cause meningitis.