Protecting Against Meningococcal Disease: Updates on Vaccines, Guidelines, and Pharmacist Best Practices

2025 PTCE Specialty Pharmacy Day of Education in partnership with Asembia

Program Description

Meningococcal disease, though rare, can lead to rapid-onset, life-threatening complications such as meningitis, septicemia, limb loss, and neurologic damage, with survivors often facing significant long-term disability. Infants, adolescents, individuals with certain medical conditions and comorbidities, and those living in close quarters, such as college dormitories, are particularly at risk. Despite the availability of effective vaccines, disparities in vaccination rates have been driven by factors such as socioeconomic status, race, and access to health care, placing vulnerable populations at continued risk. Vaccination remains the most effective strategy to prevent invasive meningococcal disease and its potentially severe consequences. Recent advances in vaccine development, including MenACWY, MenB, and MenABCWY formulations, have expanded prevention options, and understanding the differences in immunogenicity, duration of protection, and recommended populations is critical for optimizing immunization strategies. Pharmacists are uniquely positioned to identify individuals at increased risk of meningococcal disease, address social determinants affecting vaccine access, and implement targeted, evidence-based interventions. This activity will provide pharmacists with up-to-date guidance on meningococcal vaccination recommendations and equip them with practical strategies to enhance disease prevention within their communities.

Target audience: Community Pharmacist, Health-System Pharmacist, Retail Pharmacist

Type of activity: Application

Release date: October 30, 2025

Expiration date: October 30, 2026

Time to complete activity: 1.5 hours

Learner level: Foundational, Intermediate

Fee: Free

Educational Objectives

At the completion of this activity, participants will be able to:

• Examine recent trends in meningococcal disease incidence, including shifts in serogroup prevalence and geographic variations
• Compare the immunogenicity and duration of protection provided by different meningococcal vaccines, including MenACWY, MenABCWY, and MenB formulations
• Investigate key social determinants of health that contribute to disparities in meningococcal vaccination rates among different populations
• Identify pharmacist-led interventions to improve uptake of meningococcal vaccination

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education™ is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing pharmacy education. This activity is approved for 1.5 contact hours (0.15 CEU) under the ACPE universal activity number 0290-0000-25-346-H06-P. The activity is available for CE credit through October 30,2026.

Instructions for Completing the Activity and Receiving CPE Credit

To receive CPE credit, participants must complete the pretest, review the activity in its entirety, complete the posttest, and complete the online activity evaluation. After successful completion of the online activity evaluation, you can submit your credit to CPE Monitor. You may view your credit within 48 hours at www.mycpemonitor.net. All participants must request credit before the activity expiration date. CE credit will not be issued after this date.

Disclosures

Jeff Goad, PharmD, MPH, FISTM, FAPhA, FASHP, CTH has the following relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose: Speaker’s Bureau: Merck, Moderna; Consultant: Valneva, Moderna

Sophia Herbert, PharmD has the following financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:
Consultant: Pfizer, Inc. – consulting/professional services including a speaking engagement on COVID-19 vaccine implementation and patient engagement scheduled for October 2025; with honorarium Pennsylvania Pharmacists Association – consulting/professional services including speaking engagements and reimbursed travel Association of Immunization Managers – consulting/professional services and reimbursed/sponsored travel (Summer 2024) American Medical Association – consulting/professional services including speaking engagements and reimbursed/sponsored travel (Summer 2024; Summer 2025)

The following contributors have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose:

Faculty

Anita Siu, PharmD, BCPPS , Rebekah Fenton, MD, MPH

Pharmacy Times Continuing Education^™ Planning Staff—Jim Palatine, RPh, MBA; Liza Patel, PharmD, RPh; Kylie Ferrentino; Susan Pordon; Brianna Winters; and Chloe Taccetta have no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

At least one anonymous peer reviewer was used as part of content validation and conflict resolution. The peer reviewer has no relevant financial relationships with commercial interests to disclose.

Educational Disclaimer

CPE activities are offered solely for educational purposes and do not constitute any form of professional advice or referral. Discussions concerning drugs, dosages, and procedures may reflect the clinical experience of the author(s) or they may be derived from the professional literature or other sources and may suggest uses that are investigational in nature and not approved labeling or indications. Participants are encouraged to refer to primary references or full prescribing information resources.

For questions about this internet CPE activity, please contact:
ceinfo@pharmacytimes.com
Privacy Policy and Terms of Use Information:
www.pharmacytimes.org/terms