This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.

ID Week: Invasive pneumococcal disease and seven-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

SAN DIEGO – Sheldon L. Kaplan, MD discusses recent study results indicating that the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine sharply reduced the incidence of disease associated with the new bacterial types. In addition, Kaplan discusses significant declines in overall incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in children aged <2 years and in persons aged ≥65 years.

According to a CDC update, PCV13 has been used for children since 2010, when it replaced an earlier version targeting seven serotypes (PCV7; Prevnar, Pfizer) that had been in use since 2000. The routine use of PCV7 in infants and young children resulted in significant reductions in IPD caused by vaccine serotypes in children, and because of indirect effects, also in adults. Rates of IPD caused by vaccine serotypes in adults aged 18–64 years without HIV decreased from six cases to one case per 100,000 during 2000–2007. However, even after indirect effects of the pediatric immunization had been realized fully, the incidence of IPD caused by the serotypes included in PCV7 remained high in HIV-infected persons aged 18–64 years at 64 cases per 100,000 persons with AIDS. Moreover, 50% of IPD cases among immunocompromised adults in 2010 were caused by serotypes contained in PCV13; an additional 21% were caused by serotypes only contained in PPSV23.