Question
My child is now 6 years old and received the booster dose of the meningococcal vaccine in August 2010. However, the school recently notified us that a repeat dose of the meningococcal vaccine is needed. I would like to inquire if it is necessary?
Answer
According to the latest expanded program of automatic immunization, the meningococcal vaccine should be administered in four doses, with the first and second doses as basic immunization and the third and fourth doses as booster immunization. The dose your child received in 2010 was the third dose, with an interval of at least one year from the second dose; and the fourth dose was administered at the age of 6, with an interval of at least three years from the third dose. Therefore, this repeat dose is to comply with the program’s interval requirements and ensure the effectiveness of immunization.