Our practice has an 11-year-old patient who is having a splenectomy. The doctor requested meningococcal serogroup B vaccine (MenB) before the surgery and wants to know if the patient will need booster doses or a repeat MenB series at some point in the future (as in the meningococcal ACWY vaccine recommendations).

Yes. ACIP recommendations for MenB include a booster dose schedule for MenB vaccination of people at high risk for meningococcal serogroup B disease. The first booster dose is recommended one year after completion of the primary series, with a subsequent booster dose administered every 2–3 years thereafter, as long as risk remains. Because MenB vaccine products are not interchangeable, all doses, including booster doses, should be of the same MenB product (either MenB-4C, which is in Bexsero [GSK], or MenB-FHbp which is in Trumenba and Penbraya [Pfizer]). If the brand of the primary series is not known or not available, CDC recommends restarting the primary series with the available product.

Penbraya (MenABCWY, Pfizer) contains MenB-Fhbp (the MenB product in Trumenba) and is given as two doses, 6 months apart, when vaccination against all 5 serogroups is needed. For this 11-year-old child at increased risk of meningococcal disease, Penbraya may be used for MenACWY and MenB (Trumenba) doses (including booster doses) when both vaccines are needed on the same clinic day and at least 6 months have elapsed since the most recent Penbraya dose.