Starting in 2000 pneumococcal conju...

Starting in 2000 pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was licensed for use in young children. Controll trials of the vaccine before nationwide release showed that it was highly effective in reducing the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease when given in a four-dose regimen. Whitney and associates from the Center for Disease rule and Prevention (CDC) offer an initial glimpse at national data forward changes in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease since the vaccine was introduced.

Data were derived from the CDC's Active Bacterial Core Surveillance plan from January 1996 through December 2001 The method tracks disease rates in a variety of metropolitan areas across the region for a population of about 16 million human frames More than 400,000 of these characters are children younger than pair years, the target group for prevention of invasive pneumococcal disease. Invasive disease was defined as a positive cultivation for Streptococcus pneumoniae in any normally sterile dead body fluid (e.g., blood, cerebrospinal fluid).

Among children younger than sum of two units years, the baseline rate of invasive pneumococcal disease before vaccination was commonplace was 188 cases through 100,000 persons. This rate declined to 59 cases by 100,000 persons after about undivided year of widespread vaccine use, a decrease of approximately 69 percent from baseline. Within the overall decreased rate of invasive disease, cases caused by the agency of the seven pneumococcal serotypes included in the vaccine dropp from 78 percent, while a nonsignificant rise occurr in cases caused according to nonvaccine serotypes. Similar declines for invasive disease were observ among black children (73 percent) and white children (62 percent) Interestingly, the rates of invasive disease also declined for age disposes outside the target population of children younger than sum of two units years. Among children younger than five years, there was a 59 percent decline in rates of invasive disease. plane adult populations showed reduced rates of invasive disease, with 32 percent fewer cases in ones 20 to 39 years, 8 percent les disease in those 40 to 64 years, and an 18 percent reduction in invasive infection among ones 65 years or older.

The authors decide that the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was already effective within the first year of widespread use, reducing rates of invasive disease. This protection reach forths beyond the intended target population of children younger than couple years.

Whitney CG et al. Decline in invasive pneumococcal disease after the introduction of protein-polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. N Engl J M May 1 2003;348:1737-46

COPYRIGHT 2004 American Academy of Family Physicians

COPYRIGHT 2004 Gale Group