Impact of Pneumococcal Conjugate Universal Routine Vaccination on Pneumococcal Disease in Italian Children.
In Italy, the effectiveness of pneumococcal universal vaccination in preventing vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the PCV7/PCV13 shifting period was estimated to be 84.3% (95% CI: 84.0-84.6%) in children <5 years. This study aims at corroborating the estimation of both the effectiveness (VE) of PCVs and its impact in reducing pneumococcal diseases. A 1:3 matched-case-control study was conducted among children <5 years old hospitalized for IPD or pneumococcal pneumonia (PP) between 2006 and 2012 in the Puglia region. Moreover, hospitalizations for pneumococcal outcomes in the pre- and postvaccination period and the hospitalization risk ratios (HRRs) with 95% CIs were computed in Italy and in the first eight regions that introduced PCVs in 2006. The overall effectiveness of PCVs was 75% (95% CI: 61%-84%); it was 69% (95% CI: 30%-88%) against IPD and 77% (95% CI: 61%-87%) against PP. PCVs showed a significant impact on IPD and acute otitis media either at a national level or in those regions with a longer vaccination history, with a nearly 40% reduction of hospitalizations for both outcomes. Our findings provide further evidence of the effectiveness of PCVs against pneumococcal diseases and its impact on nasopharyngeal carriage in children <5 years, indicating the importance of maintaining high immunization coverage.
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
Francesca
F
Fortunato
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
Domenico
D
Martinelli
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
Maria Giovanna
MG
Cappelli
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
Vanessa
V
Cozza
Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Foggia, 71100 Foggia, Italy.
Rosa
R
Prato
D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine / Q000276:immunology; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009313:National Health Programs; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000276:immunology*; D013296:Streptococcus pneumoniae / Q000276:immunology*; D014611:Vaccination; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000276:immunology*
C538862:13-valent pneumococcal vaccine; D000069443:Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate