Impact of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on the incidence of childhood pneumonia.
In September 2006, the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) was added to the UK immunization programme. We aimed to evaluate the impact of PCV7 on the incidence of all-cause community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in children. A prospective survey was undertaken in 2008-2009 at 11 hospitals in North East England of children aged 0-16 years with radiologically confirmed pneumonia. Data were compared to those from a similar survey undertaken in the same hospitals in 2001-2002. A total of 542 children were enrolled, of which 74% were aged <5 years. PCV7 uptake was 90∙7%. The incidence of pneumonia was 11∙8/10,000 [95% confidence interval (CI) 10∙9-12∙9], and the hospitalization rate was 9∙9/10,000 (95% CI 9∙0-10∙9). Compared to 2001, there was a 19% (95% CI 8-29) reduction in the rate of CAP in those aged <5 years, and in those <2 years a 33∙1% (95% CI 20-45) reduction in the incidence of CAP and 38∙1% (95% CI 24-50) reduction in hospitalization rates. However, for those unvaccinated aged ≥5 years, there was no difference in the incidence of CAP and hospitalization rate between both surveys. Since 2001, the overall reduction in incidence was 17∙7% (95% CI 8-26) and for hospitalization 18∙5% (95% CI 8-28). For the <5 years age group there was a lower incidence of CAP in PCV7-vaccinated children (25∙2/10,000, 95% CI 22∙6-28∙2) than in those that were not vaccinated (37∙4/10,000, 95% CI 29∙2-47∙1). In conclusion, PCV7 has reduced both incidence and rate of hospitalization of pneumonia in children, particularly in the <2 years age group.
Department of Paediatric Infectious Disease and Immunology, Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. mohamed.elemraid@ncl.ac.uk
M A
MA
Elemraid
S P
SP
Rushton
M D F
MD
Shirley
M F
MF
Thomas
D A
DA
Spencer
K M
KM
Eastham
F
F
Hampton
R
R
Gorton
K
K
Pollard
A R
AR
Gennery
J E
JE
Clark
D002675:Child, Preschool; D017714:Community-Acquired Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007223:Infant; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000502:physiology; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology / Q000627:therapeutic use
D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate