Replacement of Pneumococcal Serotypes After PCV7 Vaccination

Since the introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, initial reductions in invasive pneumococcal infections among Alaska Native children have been eroded by an increase in nonvaccine-serotype infections.

The introduction of the heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) in the U.S. in 2000 was followed by a sharp reduction in the rate of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in young children (see Journal Watch Infectious Diseases May 23 2003). This vaccine contains just 7 of >90 known serotypes, but these 7 serotypes have been estimated to cause 80% to 85% of IPD in children.

To measure the effects of PCV7 vaccination, researchers conducted longitudinal population-based laboratory surveillance from 1995 through 2006 for IPD among Alaska Native children <2 years old, a group known to have a high IPD rate. Routine PCV7 immunization began in 2001 in this population. More than 90% of these children receive ≥3 doses of PCV7 — a rate signifi…

Reviewing Author

Robert S. Baltimore, MD

Replacement of Pneumococcal Serotypes After PCV7 Vaccination

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Reviewing Author