[Pneumococcal disease prevention from early infancy to old age]

The real disease burden due to Streptococcus pneumoniae infections are underrecognised worldwide both by the lay public and by the medical community in general. In infants and children pneumococcal otitis media is the most common reason for antimicrobial treatment, while the far less frequent, though potentially life threatening pneumococcal pleuropneumonia, sepsis and pneumococcal meningitis are high risk conditions even if the causative pneumococcus is not multiresistant. Asplenic patients, patients with chronic underlying conditions, and/or those receiving immunosuppressive therapy are at risk of serious pneumococcal disease regardless of age. Morbidity and mortality due to pneumococcal pneumonia is most common in the elderly, and has not changed during the last decades in spite of all efforts in improving therapy and care. Presently the majority of the pneumococcal infections are preventable by active immunization. In this work the author briefly outlines the results of the pneumococcal prevention programs worldwide and in Hungary using presently available 10-valent, 13-valent protein conjugate and 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccines. Also, the author describes the recently approved indications of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine such as its use in all age groups, discusses future challenges of these prevention programs.