Pneumococcal vaccination policy in Europe

Area of Science:

• Infectious Diseases
• Vaccinology
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• Streptococcus pneumoniae (Pneumococcus) causes severe invasive diseases like meningitis and pneumonia, especially in vulnerable populations.
• Existing pneumococcal vaccines include the 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine (PPV) and the 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV).

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess current pneumococcal vaccination policies across European countries in 2003.
• To understand the recommendations for polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) use.

Main Methods:

• A questionnaire survey was distributed to 27 European countries (EU members, Switzerland, Norway, and accession countries) in 2003.
• Data on PPV and PCV licensing, recommendations, and target populations were collected from 23 responding countries.

Main Results:

• PPV was licensed in 22 countries and recommended in 21, primarily targeting individuals over 65 and other at-risk groups.
• By 2003, 13 countries had PCV recommendations, mainly for specific pediatric risk groups (e.g., asplenia, HIV), not universal infant immunization.

Conclusions:

• Pneumococcal vaccination strategies in Europe in 2003 were largely risk-group-based, with limited universal infant PCV programs.
• Future policy decisions will consider disease burden, serotype replacement, herd immunity, dose schedules, and cost.