Pneumococcal vaccine for infants
5 July 2001
A new vaccine that will be the first to protect children under the age of 2 from pneumococcal disease has been launched in Australia.
Pneumococcal disease, which is caused by the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae, can result in illnesses such as meningitis, pneumonia and bacteraemia. Between 1993 and 1997, 25 Australian children aged under 5 died from pneumococcal meningitis and septicaemia.
Invasive pneumococcal disease can develop rapidly in infants and young children who are, in turn, among the most vulnerable for contracting serious pneumococcal disease.
‘Serious forms of pneumococcal disease, such as meningitis, can cause a child to become seriously ill in a matter of hours. These illnesses, even with treatment, can lead to hearing loss, learning disabilities, speech delays, paralysis and sometimes death’, said Dr Michael Nissen, Director of the Infectious Diseases Unit at Brisbane’s Royal Children’s Hospital.
Pneumococcal disease has traditionally been treated with antibiotics, however, the pneumococcal bacteria are becoming increasingly drug resistant.
‘This new vaccine, known as the Pneumococcal 7-Valent Conjugate vaccine, provides protection against invasive disease caused by 7 of some of the most common strains or serogroups of the bacteria that causes pneumococcal disease in children,’ explained Dr Jamshed Ahmed, Wyeth Australia Medical Director.
‘It stimulates infants’ immune systems to create immune system memory that helps protect them from invasive pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis and bacteraemia.’
The vaccine is available via private prescription. It is recommended that 3 doses be given at 2-month intervals, starting at 6 to 8 weeks of age, followed by a booster dose at 12–15 months. Older infants and children who have not been vaccinated previously would receive fewer doses of vaccine, with children over 24 months receiving a single dose.
‘Prevention of pneumococcal disease is obviously the best option—and this vaccine is an important step towards protecting infants from infectious disease. I encourage all parents to seek further information from their GP,’ said Dr Nissen.
Last Reviewed: 11 July 2001
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