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VIDEO: Pneumococcal disease outbreak strikes Alabama prison
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ATLANTA — Infectious Disease News spoke with Guillermo Sanchez, MPH, MS, a CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service officer with the Alabama Department of Public Health, about an outbreak of invasive pneumococcal disease at a state prison in rural Alabama.
Sanchez explained the challenges that accompany invasive pneumococcal disease.
“Pneumococcal disease can present as a wide spectrum of clinical syndromes,” Sanchez said. “It could be as minor as an upper respiratory tract infection or it can be anything as severe as meningitis or septicemia.”
In all, 40 cases were identified in the outbreak. Sanchez noted that many prisoners with vaccine indications were not vaccinated.
“Our recommendation is that inmates that are at a correctional facility, whether it’s a prison or a jail, should receive vaccinations in accordance [with] the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations,” Sanchez said.
Disclosure: Sanchez reports no relevant financial disclosures.