Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 8, 2025
Following in Real Time the Impact of Pneumococcal Virulence Factors in an Acute Mouse Pneumonia Model Using Bioluminescent Bacteria
Published on: February 23, 2014
Pneumococcal Conjugated Vaccines Decreased Acute Otitis Media Burden: A Population-Based Study in Israel
Tal Marom1, Sagi Tshori2, Galit Shefer3
1Clalit Health Services, Tel Aviv-Yafo, Israel; Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Samson Assuta Ashdod University Hospital, Ben Gurion University Faculty of Health Sciences, Ashdod, Israel.
Insights
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) significantly reduced acute otitis media (AOM) burden in young children. Incidence rates of AOM episodes and recurrent AOM cases declined substantially after PCV introduction in a highly immunized pediatric population.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric infectious diseases
- Vaccinology
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common childhood infection.
- Recurrent AOM (rAOM) poses a significant health burden.
- The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) aimed to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases, including AOM.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the impact of PCVs on AOM incidence and rAOM rates.
- To analyze time trends in AOM burden before and after PCV implementation.
- To evaluate AOM trends in a highly immunized pediatric population.
Main Methods:
- Population-based study utilizing health services data from 2005-2018.
- Inclusion of Israeli children aged 0-10 years.
- Comparison of AOM episodes and rAOM cases in pre-PCV (2005-2009) and post-PCV (2009-2018) periods, focusing on children under 2 years.
Main Results:
- A significant downward trend in AOM incidence rates was observed post-PCV introduction (P < .001).
- The largest decrease in AOM was seen in children under 1 year (21% reduction).
- The risk of developing rAOM significantly decreased in children under 2 years post-PCV (HR 0.893, P < .001).
Conclusions:
- PCV introduction led to a significant reduction in the burden of AOM in highly immunized children.
- The findings highlight the effectiveness of PCVs in controlling AOM and rAOM.
- Vaccination strategies incorporating PCVs are crucial for managing pediatric otitis media.
Objective:
To study time trends in all-cause acute otitis media (AOM) burden by calculating incidence rates of AOM episodes and recurrent acute otitis media (rAOM) cases in highly immunized pediatric population during the pre- and post-pneumococcal conjugated vaccine (PCV) years.
Study Design:
In this population-based study, AOM episodes and rAOM cases were identified in Clalit Health Services-insured Israeli children aged 0-10 years between 2005 and 2018 by using a data-sharing platform. Because a near-sequential implementation of PCV-7/PCV-13 occurred within a 1-year period (2009/2010), we compared AOM visits before (2005-July 2009) and after (August 2009-2018) the introduction of PCVs. We focused on children younger than 2 years of age, who are the target population of PCVs and are at AOM peak age.
Results:
We identified 805 389 AOM episodes contributed by 270 137 children. The median number of AOM episodes was 2 (IQR 1-4). A downward trend of incidence rates of AOM episodes was observed during the post-PCV years in children younger than age 9 years (P < .001). The largest decrease (21%) was observed in children younger than 1 year, from 807/1000 children during the pre-PCV years to 640/1000 during the post-PCV years (P < .001). An average annual decrease of ∼14/1000 AOM episodes was calculated in children younger than 1 year old (β = -13.39, 95% CI -16.25 to -10.53, P < .001). Of rAOM cases, documented in 84 237 (31.2%) children, 74% were in children younger than 2 years, and 55% were in boys. The risk to develop rAOM significantly decreased during the post-PCV years in children younger than 2 years (hazard ratio 0.893, 95% CI 0.878-0.908; P < .001).
Conclusions:
AOM burden significantly decreased following PCVs introduction in highly immunized children.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Acute Pharyngitis
Acute pharyngitis is the inflammation of the back of the throat (pharynx), commonly resulting in a sore throat. It is a frequently encountered condition that prompts individuals to seek medical advice.
Classification
Acute pharyngitis can be categorized based on its underlying cause:
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed....
01:30Pneumonia I: Introduction
Risk Factors
Various factors influence the likelihood of developing pneumonia. Age plays a crucial role, with infants, children under two, and individuals over 65 at increased risk due to their...
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology
01:30Pneumonia III: Complications and Assessment
01:28Pneumonia IV: Management
Bacterial Pneumonia Treatment
For bacterial pneumonia, antibiotics serve as the cornerstone of therapy. Initial treatment often begins with empirical antibiotics, tailored to the anticipated causative organism and adjusted based on culture results. Key antibiotic choices include: