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Streptococcus pneumoniae--a review of carriage, infection, serotype replacement and vaccination

Sam Mehr1, Nicholas Wood

  • 1Department of Immunology and Allergy, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Sydney, Australia. samm@chw.edu.au

Paediatric Respiratory Reviews
|October 17, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Invasive pneumococcal infection (IPD) affects children globally. While 7-valent pneumococcal vaccines (7vPCV) reduced IPD in developed nations, broader vaccines are needed for developing countries and to combat new serotypes.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric infectious diseases
  • Vaccinology
  • Public health

Background:

  • Invasive pneumococcal infection (IPD) is a major cause of childhood illness and death worldwide.
  • The 7-valent protein conjugated pneumococcal vaccine (7vPCV) significantly reduced IPD incidence in developed countries.
  • IPD incidence remains high in developing nations due to limited vaccine access, co-infections (HIV, malnutrition), and 7vPCV's lack of coverage for prevalent serotypes (1, 5, 6A).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review pneumococcal carriage and risk factors for IPD.
  • To examine the emergence of non-7vPCV serotypes following widespread 7vPCV vaccination.
  • To discuss current and novel broader-valent pneumococcal vaccines.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review on pneumococcal infection epidemiology.
  • Analysis of vaccine impact on IPD incidence.
  • Overview of pneumococcal serotype distribution and vaccine development.

Main Results:

  • Routine 7vPCV vaccination has led to a rise in non-7vPCV serotypes in developed countries.
  • Existing vaccines do not fully address the serotype burden of IPD in many developing regions.
  • Newer pneumococcal vaccines with expanded serotype coverage are being developed and distributed.

Conclusions:

  • Addressing the global burden of IPD requires strategies tailored to regional epidemiology and vaccine accessibility.
  • The evolution of pneumococcal serotypes necessitates ongoing vaccine development and implementation.
  • Broader-valent pneumococcal vaccines offer a promising approach to reduce IPD globally.

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