The Impact of Sex, Age and Race on the Immunogenicity of Meningococcal Serogroup B Vaccination in Healthy Infants, Children, Adolescents and Young Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The immune system is our body’s defense mechanism against germs like bacteria and viruses. This defense system also plays a crucial role when we get vaccinated. Men and women can experience different strengths of immune responses to germs and vaccines due to their biological differences and differences in demographic factors such as sex, age and ethnicity. Generally, men are associated with weaker immune responses, while women tend to have stronger immune responses. These differences are not only noticeable in natural immune responses but also in how men and women respond to vaccines. Studies have shown that women vaccinated with only half a dose of a flu vaccine can achieve an immune response comparable to that of men vaccinated with a standard dose. Similarly, for other vaccines, such as measles-mumps-rubella and hepatitis A/B vaccination, women exhibit stronger immune responses. However, it remains unclear what the impact is of sex, age and ethnicity on the immune response, elicited by meningococcal B vaccines (Bexsero and Trumenba).

Both Bexsero and Trumenba are licensed for more than 10 years in Europe, the United States, Australia and other countries. Both vaccines help to protect vaccinated individuals against the Meningococcus B bacterium. Meningococcus B is a type of bacteria that can lead to serious, and sometimes life-threatening, infections such as meningitis (inflammation of structures covering the brain and spinal cord) and sepsis (blood poisoning). Meningococcus B infection is rare and most common in young children, babies, and teenagers. Therefore, this meta-analysis will assess the impact of sex, age and ethnicity on the immune response elicited by both meningococcal B vaccines, in healthy infants (<1 year of age), children (1-12 years of age), adolescents (13-17 years of age) and young adults (18-24 years of age).