Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 23, 2026
07:47
Experimental Human Pneumococcal Carriage
Published on: February 15, 2013
Optimizing pneumococcal vaccination for paediatric cochlear implant recipients using the cochlear implant
Andrew Moore1, Robert Harris, David Selvadurai
1St George's Healthcare NHS Trust, London, UK. andy.moore@doctors.org.uk
Cochlear Implants International
|March 28, 2012
Summary
Many children receiving cochlear implants are not fully protected against pneumococcal meningitis. A new audit tool helps identify children needing further pneumococcal vaccinations, especially after UK guideline changes.
Area of Science:
- Medical Auditing
- Vaccinology
- Pediatric Otolaryngology
Background:
- Cochlear implant recipients face a higher risk of pneumococcal meningitis.
- Routine pre-surgical checks of pneumococcal vaccination are standard practice.
- Recent UK guideline updates may leave some children under-protected.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce a simple audit tool for assessing pneumococcal immunization status in pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- To identify children at risk of suboptimal pneumococcal protection.
- To aid healthcare professionals in primary care and tertiary centers.
Main Methods:
- A flowchart-style audit tool was used to assess 63 pediatric cochlear implant recipients.
- Data collected included age at implantation and immunization history.
- The tool determined if further vaccinations were required post-surgery.
Main Results:
- 54% of children lacked optimal pneumococcal immunization before implantation.
- 70% of children required additional vaccinations after surgery.
- Incomplete immunization often resulted from not administering the 23-valent vaccine after age two.
Conclusions:
- The pneumococcal vaccination schedule for high-risk children is complex and challenging to interpret.
- Standardization of vaccine types and usage is lacking across the UK.
- An audit tool is essential for accurately assessing and managing vaccination status in cochlear implant programs, especially with evolving national guidelines.
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