title: Immunogenicity and induction of immunological memory of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in preterm UK infants.
abstract: Data on the immunogenicity and memory induction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in very preterm infants is limited. We vaccinated 69 full term and 68 preterm infants (median gestational age (GA) 30 weeks) with a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) at 2/3/4 months of age, followed by a plain polysaccharide booster at 12 months of age. IgG-GMC (ELISA) was significantly lower in preterm infants to six vaccine serotypes (ST) at 2 months and 5 months of age, to five ST at 12 months of age and to three ST at 13 months of age. A significantly lower proportion of preterm infants achieved IgG levels>or=0.35 microg/ml to ST 4, 6B and 9V at 5 months and to ST 4, 6B, 18C, 19F and 23F at 12 months of age. Fold rises following the polysaccharide booster were comparable to those of term infants. At least 93% of both cohorts achieved IgG>or=0.35 microg/ml to all STs following booster vaccination. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine at an accelerated schedule of 2/3/4 months of age is likely to provide protection against pneumococcal disease for preterm infants. Antibody concentrations wane over the first year of life in both preterm and term infants and booster vaccination is therefore likely to be important.
authors.affiliation: Division of Child Health and Vaccine Institute, St. George's University of London, London, UK, and Paediatric Infectious Diseases, Department of General Paediatrics, University Children's Hospital, Düsseldorf, Germany.
authors.forename: Jens U
authors.initials: JU
authors.lastname: Ruggeberg
authors.forename: Clare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Collins
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: Nik
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Ruchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sinha
authors.forename: Neil
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Everest
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Elaine
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Stanford
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Balmer
authors.forename: Ray
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borrow
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: E Richard
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Moxon
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pollard
authors.forename: Paul T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Heath
mesh_terms: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial / Q000097:blood; D016667:Bacterial Capsules; D005260:Female; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines / Q000276:immunology; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D006801:Humans; D007156:Immunologic Memory; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D008297:Male; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000276:immunology; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D000907:Antibodies, Bacterial; D018073:Haemophilus Vaccines; C044237:Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide vaccine; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D022401:Meningococcal Vaccines; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial