BACKGROUND Because classic pneumococcal serotyping methods cannot distinguish between serotypes 6A and 6C, the effects of pneumococcal vaccines against serotype 6C are unknown. Pneumococcal vaccines contain serotype 6B but not serotypes 6A and 6C. METHODS We used a phagocytic killing assay to estimate the immunogenicity of the 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in children and the 23-valent po...

BACKGROUND Although it is widely accepted that adults with immunocompromising conditions are at greatly increased risk of pneumococcal infection, the extent of risk among immunocompetent adults with chronic medical conditions is less certain, particularly in the current era of universal vaccination of children with pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort s...

Invasive diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) are a major public health issue in Europe as well as worldwide. Severe diseases caused by pneumococci are pneumonia, meningitis and febrile bacteraemia; otitis media is a more common, but less serious manifestation of pneumococcal infection. Pneumococcus can affect all age groups but the bigger burden of disease is among childr...

High incidence of childhood invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in the US declined steeply after 7-valent conjugate vaccine (PCV7) introduction, outweighing reductions observed elsewhere. We re-analysed aggregate published data and compared pre- post-PCV IPD-incidence different countries to explore PCV impact on hospitalised outpatient IPD separately. The proportion cases was consistently high ...

BACKGROUND The impact of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7) on antibiotic resistance among pneumococcal strains causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) has varied in different locales in the United States. We assessed trends in IPD including trends for IPD caused by penicillin non-susceptible strains before and after licensure of PCV-7 and the impact of the 2008 susceptibility break...

Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) is caused Surveillance System (NNDSS). The data in this by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae and report are provisional and subject to change as results in illnesses such as pneumonia, bactelaboratory results and additional case informaraemia and meningitis. There are currently 92 tion become available. The data are analysed serotypes recognised worldwid...

INTRODUCTION Introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) for infants decreased overall invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), while non-vaccine serotype IPD increased. To fully understand this serotype replacement, knowledge about serotype dynamics in the pre-vaccine era is needed. In addition to IPD surveillance and carriage studies, the serotype replacement can be investigated by ser...

Background. Despite widespread vaccination, Streptococcus pneumoniae (SPN) continues to cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD), particularly in the immunocompromised. Current recommendations in the United States target the immunocompromised for use of the 13-valent conjugate vaccine. We examined the impact of chronic kidney disease on the development of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). M...

BACKGROUND Before 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) introduction, invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) rates among Navajo were several-fold those of the general US population. Only 50% of IPD cases in children involved PCV7 serotypes. METHODS We conducted active, population-based surveillance for IPD for the period 1995-2006. We documented case characteristics and serotyped the is...

Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs) have substantially reduced morbidity and mortality of pneumococcal disease. The impact of the 7-valent PCV on all-serotype invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among children was reported to vary between high-income countries. We investigate the ability to predict this heterogeneity from pre-vaccination data. We propose a parsimonious model that predicts th...