title: Evaluating clinical effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccination in preventing stroke: the CAPAMIS Study, 3-year follow-up.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebrovascular benefits using the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) are controversial. This study assessed clinical effectiveness of PPV23 in preventing ischemic stroke in people older than 60 years.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a population-based cohort study involving 27,204 individuals of 60 years or older in Tarragona, Spain, who were prospectively followed from December 01, 2008, until November 30, 2011. Outcomes were neuroimaging-confirmed ischemic stroke, 30-day mortality from stroke, and all-cause death. Pneumococcal vaccination effectiveness was evaluated by Cox regression analyses, estimating hazard ratios (HRs) adjusted for age, sex, comorbidities, and influenza vaccine status.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cohort members were followed for a total of 76,033 person-years, of which 29,065 were for vaccinated subjects. Overall, 343 cases of stroke, 45 deaths from stroke, and 2465 all-cause deaths were observed. Pneumococcal vaccination did not alter the risk of stroke (multivariable HR: 1.04; 95% confidence interval [CI]: .83-1.30; P=.752), death from stroke (HR: 1.14; 95% CI: .61-2.13; P=.686), and all-cause death (HR: .97; 95% CI: .89-1.05; P=.448). In analyses focused on people with and without a history of cerebrovascular disease, the PPV23 did not emerge effective in preventing any analyzed event, but influenza vaccine emerged independently associated with a reduced risk of death from stroke (HR: .51; 95% CI: .28-.93; P=.029) and all-cause death (HR: .73; 95% CI: .67-.81; P<.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data support that the PPV23 does not provide benefit against ischemic stroke, but it also supports a beneficial effect of influenza vaccine in reducing specific- and all-cause mortality risk in the general population older than 60 years.
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Service "Camp de Tarragona", Institut Catala de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vila-Corcoles
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Service "Camp de Tarragona", Institut Catala de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain. Electronic address: oochoa.tarte.ics@gencat.cat.
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ochoa-Gondar
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Institute, Institut d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rodriguez-Blanco
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Service "Camp de Tarragona", Institut Catala de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cinta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: de Diego-Cabanes
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Service "Camp de Tarragona", Institut Catala de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Satue-Gracia
authors.affiliation: Research Assistance on Mortality Data, Institut d'Investigacio en Atencio Primaria Jordi Gol, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vila-Rovira
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Service "Camp de Tarragona", Institut Catala de la Salut, Tarragona, Spain.
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Torrente Fraga
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002423:Cause of Death; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines
keywords: Effectiveness; cerebrovascular prevention; pneumococcal vaccination; stroke