title: The potential of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for children.
abstract: In contrast to earlier pneumococcal vaccines, conjugate vaccines hold promise for reducing pneumococcal morbidity and mortality in infants and young children. The first commercially available conjugate vaccine formulation, which targets seven serotypes, was licensed in the US and other countries in 2000; this vaccine is now part of routine infant immunization in the US. Demand has been high and greater than vaccine supply. Clinical trials indicate that conjugate vaccines are highly efficacious against invasive pneumococcal disease and modestly efficacious against otitis media and pneumonia. In carriage studies conjugate vaccines reduced vaccine-type carriage but led to an increase in carriage of other serotypes. Remaining questions include whether less frequent transmission of vaccine serotypes will mean less disease in unvaccinated children and adults or if nonvaccine serotypes will begin to cause more disease. Monitoring disease burden after widespread use in the US is critical for understanding the effects of the vaccine. In addition making pneumococcal vaccines available for children in developing countries should be a high priority.
authors.affiliation: Respiratory Diseases Branch, Division of Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases, National Center for Infectious Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30333, USA. Cwhitney@cdc.gov
authors.forename: Cynthia G
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Whitney
authors.forename: Larry K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Pickering
mesh_terms: D016470:Bacteremia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000600:supply & distribution; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods*; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate