title: Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine introduction in Latin America and the Caribbean: progress and lessons learned.
abstract: In Latin America and the Caribbean, pneumococcus has been estimated to cause 12,000-28,000 deaths, 182,000 hospitalizations, and 1.4 million clinic visits annually. Countries in the Americas have been among the first developing nations to introduce pneumococcal conjugate vaccines into their Expanded Programs on Immunization, with 34 countries and territories having introduced these vaccines as of September 2015. Lessons learned for successful vaccine introduction include the importance of coordination between political and technical decision makers, adjustments to the cold chain prior to vaccine introduction, and the need for detailed plans addressing the financial and technical sustainability of introduction. Though many questions on the Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine remain unanswered, the experience of the Americas suggests that the vaccines can be introduced quickly and effectively.
authors.affiliation: a Comprehensive Family Immunization Unit , Pan American Health Organization , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Lucia Helena
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: b Vanderbilt University School of Medicine , Nashville , TN , USA.
authors.forename: Silas Pierson
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Trumbo
authors.affiliation: a Comprehensive Family Immunization Unit , Pan American Health Organization , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: Cuauhtémoc
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruiz Matus
authors.affiliation: a Comprehensive Family Immunization Unit , Pan American Health Organization , Washington , DC , USA.
authors.forename: N Jennifer
authors.initials: NJ
authors.lastname: Sanwogou
authors.affiliation: c Department of Community Health, Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health , Federal University of Goiás , Goiânia , Brazil.
authors.forename: Cristiana M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Toscano
mesh_terms: D017691:Caribbean Region / Q000453:epidemiology; D003140:Communicable Disease Control / Q000191:economics / Q000458:organization & administration; D006291:Health Policy; D006801:Humans; D007843:Latin America / Q000453:epidemiology; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000276:immunology*; D012034:Refrigeration; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines; D018074:Vaccines, Conjugate
keywords: Pneumococcus; new vaccines; pneumococcal conjugate vaccines; pneumonia; surveillance