Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 4, 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 SEROTYPE DISTRIBUTION AND COVERAGE OF EXISTING AND PIPELINE PNEUMOCOCCAL VACCINES
Laura M King1, Kristin L Andrejko2, Miwako Kobayashi2
1School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, California, United States.
Insights
New pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) show promise in preventing millions of acute respiratory infections and thousands of invasive pneumococcal disease cases annually in the U.S. Higher serotype coverage, like with PCV31, indicates greater potential for disease prevention.
Area of Science:
- Infectious Diseases
- Vaccinology
- Public Health
Background:
- Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is a major cause of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and acute respiratory infections (ARIs).
- Current US vaccination strategies include three pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), with new formulations under development.
- Estimating the impact of existing and emerging PCVs on disease burden is crucial for public health policy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the proportion of pneumococcal ARIs and IPD caused by serotypes covered by current and pipeline PCVs.
- To estimate the annual burden of pneumococcal disease in the US that could be prevented by PCVs.
Main Methods:
- Utilized Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to analyze serotype distribution in ARIs and IPD.
- Incorporated data from serotype distribution studies and Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs).
- Calculated preventable disease burdens by multiplying incidence rates by PCV-targeted proportions and vaccine effectiveness.
Main Results:
- PCV serotype coverage varied significantly, with PCV31 targeting up to 68% of pediatric AOM and 87% of adult pneumonia.
- PCV-targeted serotypes accounted for 42-85% of pediatric and 42-94% of adult IPD cases.
- Estimated PCV-preventable burdens include 270,000–3.3 million ARIs, 2,000–17,000 pneumonia hospitalizations, and 3,000–14,000 IPD cases annually.
Conclusions:
- PCV15 demonstrated the lowest coverage, while PCV31 showed the highest potential for preventing pneumococcal disease burdens.
- PCV21 also targets a substantial proportion of adult pneumococcal disease.
- Understanding serotype distribution across different pneumococcal conditions is vital for optimizing future vaccine development and public health strategies.
Background:
Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) causes invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and non-invasive acute respiratory infections (ARIs). Three pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) are recommended in the United States with additional products in clinical trials. We aimed to estimate 1) proportions of IPD cases and pneumococcal ARIs caused by serotypes targeted by existing and pipeline PCVs and 2) annual U.S. pneumococcal burdens potentially preventable by PCVs.
Methods:
We estimated serotype distribution and proportions of non-invasive pneumococcal ARIs (AOM [children only], sinusitis, non-bacteremic pneumonia) and IPD attributable to serotypes targeted by each PCV using Markov chain Monte Carlo approaches incorporating data from studies of serotype distribution in ARIs and Active Bacterial Core Surveillance (ABCs) data. We then estimated annual numbers of outpatient-managed pneumococcal ARIs, non-bacteremic pneumococcal pneumonia hospitalizations, and IPD cases potentially preventable by PCVs in the United States by multiplying pneumococcal disease incidence rates by PCV-targeted proportions of disease and vaccine effectiveness estimates.
Results:
In children, PCV15, PCV20, PCV24, PCV25, and PCV31 serotypes account for 16% (95% confidence interval: 15-17%), 31% (30-32%), 34% (32-35%), 43% (42-44%), and 68% (67-69%) of pneumococcal acute otitis media cases, respectively. In adults, PCV15, PCV20, PCV21, PCV24, PCV25, and PCV31 serotypes account for 43% (38-47%), 52% (47-57%), 69% (64-73%), 65% (61-70%), 62% (57-67%), and 87% (83-90%) of pneumococcal non-bacteremic pneumonia cases. For IPD, 42-85% of pediatric and 42-94% of adult cases were due to PCV-targeted serotypes. PCV-preventable burdens encompassed 270 thousand-3.3 million outpatient-managed ARIs, 2-17 thousand non-bacteremic pneumonia hospitalizations, and 3-14 thousand IPD cases in the United States annually.
Conclusions:
Across pneumococcal conditions, coverage and preventable burdens were lowest for PCV15 and highest for PCV31, with PCV21 also targeting sizeable burdens of adult disease. Serotype distribution across syndromes may inform vaccine formulations and policy.
Related Concept Videos
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....
01:51Vaccinations
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...
01:30Pneumonia 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:
01:29Pneumonia II: Pathophysiology