MenACWY Schools Immunisation Programme

When your child is in 1st year of second level school, they will be offered vaccination with meningococcal ACWY vaccine.

Your child will have been offered the MenC vaccine in infancy. Protection against meningococcal C disease reduces over time so a booster dose of MenACWY vaccine is recommended for children in First year of secondary school and age equivalent special school and home-schooled students to provide additional protection against meningococcal C disease.

There has been an increase of other types of meningococcal disease in Ireland in the past few years. The MenACWY (meningococcal ACWY) vaccine protects your child against meningococcal disease caused by meningococcal C and also meningococcal types A, W and Y.

Meningococcal disease is a serious illness which can cause meningitis (inflammation of the lining around the brain), septicaemia (blood poisoning) and lead to death.

The onset of meningococcal disease can be very quick. The symptoms include fever, stiff neck, headache, joint pains, and a rash.

Meningococcal disease may occur at any age but the highest rate of disease occurs in children under 5 years of age, especially children under one year of age. The next highest risk group are young people aged 15-19 years.

This vaccine will be given by a HSE doctor or nurse to students during the second or third term in first year of secondary school along with the second dose of HPV vaccine.

If a student misses their immunisation in school, the HSE will arrange for the student to be vaccinated at a HSE clinic.

In Ireland, all the recommended childhood vaccines listed in the schools immunisation programme are free.

We have compared the possible complications of developing Meningococcal disease with the possible side effects of getting the MenACWY vaccine.


Disease	Effects of Disease	Side Effects of the Vaccine
Meningococcal disease is a serious illness caused by the bacteria called Neisseria meningitidis. This bacterial infection can cause meningitis (in‑ammation of the lining around the brain) and septicaemia (blood poisoning). In older children and adolescents, the main symptoms of meningitis and septicaemia may include: a stiff neck a very bad headache severe pains and aches in the arms, legs and joints being sleepy, less responsive, vacant, or confused a dislike of bright lights very cold hands and feet shivering rapid breathing red or purple spots that do not fade under pressure vomiting fever diarrhoea and stomach cramps a rash convulsions or seizures Not everyone will develop all the symptoms listed. But, if your child develops some of these symptoms, especially red or purple spots, get medical help urgently.	Meningococcal disease can cause meningitis which can leave people with serious after-effects. It can also cause septicaemia which can damage the blood vessels and reduce the flow of oxygen to the skin, underlying flesh and major organs such as the kidneys, liver and lungs. If 1,000 people get meningococcal disease: 50 will die. 100 people who recover from meningococcal disease will have a major disability such as deafness, brain damage or loss of fingers, toes, hands, feet, arms or legs.	The most common side effects in teenagers and young people are: pain, redness or swelling in the arm where the vaccine was given headache fever nausea fatigue (feeling tired) These symptoms should last no more than 24-48 hours. Sometimes, a small, painless lump develops, but this usually disappears in a few weeks.

If you are looking for more information about Meningitis and Septicaemia please visit https://www.meningitis.org/

The MenACWY vaccine does not protect against other types of meningitis including that due to meningococcal B disease or Haemophilius influenzae type b disease.

Giving COVID-19 vaccines with vaccines included in the schools immunisation programme

The National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) say that other vaccines can be given with COVID-19 vaccines. A gap is not needed between COVID-19 vaccines and the vaccines offered as part of the second level school vaccination programme.

If other vaccines are being given at the same time as COVID-19 vaccines, if possible they should be given in different limbs.

Name of the vaccine

The vaccine used in the school programme is called Nimenrix. It is manufactured by Pfizer. The licensed documents for each vaccine the Summary of Product Characteristics and the Patient Information Leaflet are available from the HPRA Website.

The following information materials are available for parents of children in First Year of secondary schools.

Information booklet