PCV13 Is Highly Effective in U.S. Children

The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced into the immunization schedule for infants and young children in the U.S. in 2010. To determine the effectiveness of the vaccine against invasive pneumococcal disease, researchers conducted a case-control study of children aged 2 to 59 months.

Cases were 722 children with invasive pneumococcal disease identified through active population-based surveillance at 13 sites across the U.S. Controls were 2991 children identified from birth registries; each case was matched to four controls by age and zip code.

Among 217 cases (30%) with disease caused by serotypes included in PCV13, the most common serotypes were 19A (18%), 7F (4%), and 3 (6%). The vaccine's effectiveness against th…