Ontario Meningococcal Immunization Program Update

To: Health Care Professionals in Niagara
From: Clinical Services Division, Niagara Region Public Health
Reference: Ontario Meningococcal Immunization Program Update
Date: August 27, 2026

Meningococcal C Conjugate (Men-C-C) vaccines (Menjugate® Liquid or NeisVac-C®) will no longer be available in the Canadian market after the current supply is depleted. The Ontario Ministry of Health has indicated Men-C-ACYW vaccine (Nimenrix®, MenQuadfi® or Menveo) will be replacing Men-C-C vaccine. This memo outlines the use of meningococcal conjugate vaccines in Ontario.

Changes to Ontario’s Meningococcal Immunization Program

Once the Men-C-C vaccine supply is depleted, Men-C-ACYW vaccine will be routinely administered at 12 months of age. There is no change to the Grade 7 Men-C-ACYW dose.

The routine 12-month and Grade 7 doses are not considered doses within a single series. They should be considered separate immunization events rather than a single vaccine series.

While this program change will offer broader serogroup protection (A, Y, and W), it is driven by vaccine supply and not based on changes in meningococcal disease epidemiology in Ontario.

No additional doses of Men-C-ACYW are needed for children already immunized according to the routine schedule with Men-C-C. These children remain eligible to receive a dose of Men-C-ACYW in Grade 7 through the school-based immunization program.

High-Risk Meningococcal Program

The publicly-funded high-risk program is being updated to better align with authorized age indications for the different Men-C-ACYW products. Menveo® is authorized for use from 2 months of age, and Nimenrix® and MenQuadfi™ are authorized for use from 6 weeks of age.

For high-risk infants and children aged 6 weeks to 23 months, the revised Ontario Ministry of Health guidance is outlined below. A comprehensive Q&A for health care providers on the meningococcal vaccine transition is expected to be posted to the Ministry of Health's Vaccine resources for professionals | ontario.ca webpage in the coming weeks. Consult this resource for comprehensive guidance once it becomes available.

6 weeks to 6 months: 2 doses and 1 booster dose at 12 to 23 months of age
7 to 11 months: 1 dose and 1 booster dose at 12 to 23 months of age
12 to 23 months: 1 dose (if previously immunized). 2 doses (if previously unimmunized)

The recommended interval between doses is 8 weeks or more from the previous dose; a minimum interval of 4 weeks can be used if accelerated immunization is needed.

The booster dose is recommended to be given at 12 to 23 months of age but can be given at 24 months of age or older if the child was not immunized at the recommended age.

Note:

Refer to product monographs for authorized age indications
The above dosing schedules reflect NACI guidance and may differ from authorized product monographs; whether to apply an off-label dosing schedule is up to the health care provider’s sole discretion

Health Care Provider Action

Continue using existing Men-C-C vaccine inventory for routine 12-month doses until supply is depleted
Do not discard usable Men-C-C vaccine
Use Men-C-ACYW vaccine for patients 12 months of age once the Men-C-C vaccine has been depleted
Men-C-ACYW is offered again to adolescents through the Grade 7 school-based immunization program
Individuals born between 1986 and 1996 who have not previously received a publicly funded meningococcal vaccine remain eligible. With the transition from Men-C-C to Men-C-ACYW, these individuals are now eligible to receive a publicly funded dose of Men-C-ACYW if they have not previously received a publicly funded Men-C-C vaccine.
Follow the revised guidance for infants and children 6 weeks to 23 months of age for the high-risk meningococcal program as per the High-Risk Meningococcal Program section.

Office Staff Action

Continue to order the Men-C-C vaccine using the Vaccine Order Form for Physicians and Primary Care
The High-Risk Vaccine Order Form is being updated to reflect changes for children 6 weeks to 23 months of age. The updated version will be posted to the website and will display “August 2026 | Version 2” in the footer once available.
Once Niagara Region Public Health exhausts our supply of Men-C-C vaccine, orders will be filled with the Men-C-ACYW vaccine

For More Information

Call Public Health at 905-688-8248 or 1-888-505-6074 ext. 7396