The impact of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on community-acquired pneumonia hospitalizations in children with comorbidity

Effect of the PCV 10 vaccination on community-acquired pneumonia hospitalisations after four years of its introduction into the Polish National Immunisation Programme: Follow-up study

BACKGROUND

Vaccination against pneumococci is currently the most effective method of protection against pneumococcal infections. The aim of the study was to analyse changes in hospitalisations and in-hospital deaths due to pneumonia before (2009-2016) and after (2017-2020) the introduction of PCV 10 vaccinations in the National Immunisation Programme in Poland.

METHODS

Data on hospitalisations related to community acquired pneumonia (CAP) in the years 2009-2020 were obtained from the Nationwide General Hospital Morbidity Study. Analyses were made in the age groups: <2, 2-3, 4-5, 6-19, 20-59, 60+ years in 2009-2016 and 2017-2020.

RESULTS

Overall, there were 1,503,105 CAP-related hospitalisations in 2009-2020, 0.7% of which were caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae infections. Children <2 years of age were the most frequently hospitalised for CAP per 100,000 population, followed by patients aged 2-3, 4-5 and 60+ years. In the years 2009-2016, the percentage of CAP hospital admissions increased significantly, and after the year 2017, it decreased significantly in each of the age groups (p<0.001). In the years 2009-2016, a significant increase in hospitalisations for Streptococcus pneumoniae infections was observed in the age groups <2, 2-3 and 4-5 years (p<0.05). A significant reduction in hospitalisations was observed in the age groups <2, 20-59 and 60+ in 2017-2020 (p<0.05). In the years 2009-2020, there were 84,367 in-hospital deaths due to CAP, 423 (0.5%) of which due to Streptococcus pneumoniae, with patients mainly aged 60+.

CONCLUSIONS

Implementation of the PCV vaccination programme has effectively decreased the incidence of CAP hospitalisations, including children <2 years of age. The group that is most at risk of death are persons aged 60+. The results of our study can be useful in evaluating the vaccine efficacy and benefits, and they can be an essential part of public health policy. Effective prevention strategies for CAP should be implemented in different age groups.

Vaccine Immunity in Children After Hematologic Cancer Treatment: A Retrospective Single-center Study

BACKGROUND

Children lose their vaccine-induced protection and are particularly vulnerable to vaccine-preventable diseases after chemotherapy. However, revaccination guidelines are heterogeneous, and there is often a lack of revaccination post-treatment.

AIMS

We conducted a retrospective study of children with hematologic cancer to evaluate vaccine immunity before and after the end of treatment and to determine whether the current institutional revaccination program based on vaccine serology results was followed and effective.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data of all children treated by chemotherapy between April 2015 and July 2021 were extracted from hospital medical records for analysis. Serum antibody levels and time of vaccination were evaluated for diphtheria, tetanus, Streptococcus pneumoniae , Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles, varicella, and hepatitis B.

RESULTS

We included 31 patients (median age, 9 years). At cancer diagnosis, 90% of children were protected against tetanus, diphtheria, and measles; 65% to 67% were protected against pneumococcus and varicella; and 25% against hepatitis B. At the end of chemotherapy, 67% to 71% of patients were protected against tetanus, varicella, and measles; 40% remained protected against hepatitis B; and 27% to 33% against pneumococcus and diphtheria. Patients were revaccinated at various times after the end of treatment but not systematically. During the first-year post-treatment, 20% to 25% of children remained unprotected against pneumococcus, measles, and hepatitis B, one third against diphtheria, but all were protected against tetanus and varicella.

CONCLUSIONS

An effective individualized vaccination program post-cancer based on serology results should be accompanied by an appropriate serology tracking method and follow-up to assess if booster doses are necessary. Our study supports vaccinating all children with a dose of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate at cancer diagnosis and at 3 months post-treatment with the combined diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis/poliomyelitis vaccine/hepatitis B virus plus or minus Hib and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate and meningococcal vaccine, including measles/mumps/rubella-varicella zoster virus vaccine if good immune reconstitution is present.

Sex-differences in incidence of hospitalizations and in hospital mortality of community-acquired pneumonia among children in Spain: a population-based study

The aim of this study is to examine trends from 2016 to 2019 in the incidence of hospitalizations and in-hospital mortality (IHM) of subjects < 18 years with community-acquired pneumonia (CAP), assessing possible sex differences. We used Spanish national hospital discharge data to select all patients < 18 years with CAP. We identified 43,511 children (53% boys) hospitalized with CAP. The incidence of CAP was significantly higher in boys than in girls, with an age-adjusted incidence rate ratio of 1.05 (95%CI 1.03-1.07) for boys compared to girls, and rose from 126 per 100,000 children in 2016 to 131 in 2019 (p < 0.0001). There were no sex differences in isolated pathogens, comorbidities, length of hospital stay, or IHM. Variables independently associated with IHM were age 10 to 17 years, congenital heart disease, neurological diseases, and use of invasive mechanical ventilation. Asthma was a protective factor for IHM among girls.

CONCLUSION

The incidence of hospital admissions for CAP was higher among boys than among girls and rose significantly from 2016 to 2019. There were no sex differences in hospital outcomes. Age 10 to 17 years, congenital heart disease, neurological diseases, and use of mechanical ventilation were risk factors for IHM in both sexes, while asthma was a protective factor among girls. No differences were found in IHM over time.

WHAT IS KNOWN

• Community-acquired pneumonia is one of the most common reasons for hospitalizations among children. • There are few studies that allow to know the evolution of community-acquired pneumonia in children.

WHAT IS NEW

• Incidence of hospital admissions for community-acquired pneumonia was higher in boys than girls and it rose significantly from 2016 to 2019. • Age 10 to 17 years, congenital heart disease, neurological diseases and use of mechanical ventilation were risk factors for in-hospital mortality in both sexes.

Higher Hospitalization Rate for Lower Airway Infection in Transfusion-Naïve Thalassemia Children

Few studies have addressed the risk of infection in transfusion-naïve thalassemia patients. We aimed to investigate whether transfusion-naïve thalassemia population has higher hospitalization rates for lower airway infection-related diseases than non-thalassemia population in children. A nationwide population-based retrospective cohort study was conducted using detailed medical records of the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database. Transfusion-naïve thalassemia patients were compared with a matched cohort at a ratio of 1:4. Data of the selected patients were adjusted for age, sex, and related comorbidities. We recorded the frequency of admissions or outpatient clinic visits for patients with a diagnosis of pneumonia or acute bronchitis/bronchiolitis. Based on our results, the hospitalization rates and incidence rate ratios of bronchitis/bronchiolitis and pneumonia for transfusion-naïve thalassemia children were all higher than those for non-thalassemia controls. Therefore, we conclude that transfusion-naïve thalassemia children are more likely to experience lower airway infections and have a higher probability of hospitalization for these conditions.

Invasive pneumococcal disease among hospitalized children in Brazil before and after the introduction of a pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

BACKGROUND

Most of the available data on invasive pneumococcal disease in Latin America are derived from laboratory-based surveillance systems. There is a lack of epidemiological data on the disease severity and mortality from hospitalized patients with pneumococcal infection.

METHODS

In this hospital-based retrospective historical series of hospitalized children with laboratory-confirmed IPD, we evaluated changes in disease episodes, in-hospital fatality rates, and need for intensive care unit admission after the inclusion of PCV10 in the Brazilian vaccination schedule. Invasive pneumococcal strains isolated by culture were serotyped. Changes over time were assessed, and pre-vaccination (2005-2009) to post-vaccination (2011-2015) disease rates and serotypes were compared.

RESULTS

260 patients with IPD and positive pneumococcal isolates were identified (198 during the pre-PCV10 period). When comparing both periods, hospitalizations were reduced from 20 cases to 5 cases per 10,000 pediatric admissions (p < 0.0001). Likewise, fatalities reduced from 6.6 to 2.0 cases per 10,000 pediatric admissions (p < 0.0001). Pneumonia was the most frequent clinical diagnosis (58%) - of which 49.6% had pleural effusion - followed by meningitis (22%) and bacteremia (15.9%). Overall 30% of cases were sent to ICU, with no percentual changes after PCV10. Additional PCV13 serotypes increased from 7% before vaccine introduction to 21% after PCV10 use. Similarly, serotypes not included in PCV13 increased from 11% to 29%.

CONCLUSIONS

There was a significant reduction in the hospitalizations rates, ICU admissions, and fatalities due to IPD after PCV10 introduction in Brazil. Cases due to PCV10 serotypes were reduced, while infections rates caused by non-PCV10 serotypes increased.

Clinical Outcomes of Pneumonia and Other Comorbidities in Children Aged 2-59 Months in Lilongwe, Malawi: Protocol for the Prospective Observational Study "Innovative Treatments in Pneumonia"

Background

Pneumonia is the leading infectious cause of death worldwide among children below 5 years of age. Clinical trials are conducted to determine optimal treatment; however, these trials often exclude children with comorbidities and severe illness.

Conclusions

Given the paucity of data from Africa, African-based research is necessary to establish optimal management of childhood pneumonia in malaria-endemic settings in the region. An expanded evidence base that includes children with pneumonia and other comorbidities, who are at high risk for mortality or have other complications and are therefore typically excluded from childhood pneumonia clinical trials, can contribute to future iterations of the World Health Organization Integrated Management of Childhood Illness guidelines.

Methods

The study enrolled 1000 children with pneumonia presenting to the outpatient departments of Kamuzu Central or Bwaila District Hospitals in Lilongwe, Malawi, who were excluded from concurrent randomized controlled clinical trials investigating fast breathing and chest indrawing pneumonia and who met the inclusion criteria for this prospective observational study. Each child received standard care for their illnesses per Malawian guidelines and hospital protocol and was prospectively followed up with scheduled study visits on days 1, 2 (if hospitalized), 6, 14 (in person), and 30 (by phone). Our primary objectives are to describe the clinical outcomes of children who meet the inclusion criteria for this study and to investigate whether the percentages of children cured at day 14 among those with either fast breathing or chest indrawing pneumonia and comorbidities such as severe malaria, anemia, severe acute malnutrition, or HIV are lower than those in children without these comorbidities in the standard care groups in concurrent clinical trials. This study was approved by the Western Institutional Review Board, Malawi College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee, and the Malawi Pharmacy, Medicines and Poisons Board.

Objective

This prospective observational study aimed to assess the clinical outcomes of children aged 2-59 months with both pneumonia and other comorbidities in a malaria-endemic region of Malawi.

Results

The Innovative Treatments in Pneumonia project was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (OPP1105080) in April 2014. Enrollment in this study began in 2016, and the primary results are expected in 2019.

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

DERR1-10.2196/13377