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Published on: February 23, 2014
Pneumococcal pneumonia vaccine breakthroughs and failures after 13-valent pneumococcal conjugated vaccine
Ana Filipe Almeida1, Joana Sobrinho-Simões2, Catarina Ferraz3
1Department of Paediatrics, São João Hospital, Porto, Portugal anafpsalmeida@gmail.com.
Insights
Pneumococcal conjugated vaccines have reduced invasive pneumococcal disease. However, vaccine failures and breakthroughs, particularly with serotype 3, occurred in previously healthy children before vaccine implementation.
Area of Science:
- Pediatrics
- Vaccinology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The introduction of pneumococcal conjugated vaccines (PCVs) has significantly decreased invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) rates globally.
- Despite high vaccine efficacy, reports of vaccine failure and breakthrough infections persist, necessitating ongoing surveillance.
Observation:
- This study retrospectively analyzed data from children diagnosed with pneumococcal pneumonia between 2012 and 2014 at a European tertiary hospital.
- Data collection occurred prior to the national implementation of PCVs in the country.
Findings:
- Four cases of pneumococcal serotype 3 vaccine failure were identified.
- Three cases of vaccine breakthrough infections were observed, including two with serotype 3 and one with serotype 19A.
- All affected children were previously healthy, highlighting potential limitations of current vaccines against specific serotypes.
Implications:
- These findings underscore the importance of monitoring vaccine effectiveness and the emergence of non-vaccine serotypes.
- Further research into the mechanisms of vaccine failure and the development of broader-spectrum pneumococcal vaccines is warranted.
- Understanding vaccine breakthroughs in healthy populations is crucial for refining immunization strategies and public health policies.
Abstract:
The rate of invasive pneumococcal disease has markedly declined after the introduction of pneumococcal conjugated vaccines. In spite of the high effectiveness of this vaccine, there are some reports of vaccine failure and vaccine breakthroughs. Data on children with pneumococcal pneumonia in a European tertiary Hospital, from 2012 to 2014, were retrospectively collected before the implementation of pneumococcal conjugated vaccines in our country. We found four cases of pneumococcal serotype 3 vaccine failure and three cases of vaccine breakthroughs (two with serotype 3 and one with serotype 19A). All of these children were previously healthy.
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