Absence of Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C-specific antibodies during the first year of life in the Netherlands: an age group at risk?

In The Netherlands, a single meningococcal serogroup C conjugate (MenCC) vaccination is administered to children at the age of 14 months. Here, we report the levels of MenC polysaccharide-specific antibodies in children at birth and at 3, 11, and 12 months of age and the presence of functional antibodies at 11 months of age, before infants receive their MenCC immunization. We observed a rapid decline in polysaccharide-specific antibodies after birth and no induction of naturally elicited polysaccharide-specific antibodies. Furthermore, at 11 months of age, no bactericidal antibodies are observed. These data indicate that these infants may be at risk in the period prior to MenCC immunization, if Neisseria meningitidis serogroup C starts to (re)circulate.