CHILDHOOD Pneumococcal Vaccine helps children avoid the suffering and danger of ear infections, meningitis and pneumonias. And a new study suggests it may provide an added bonus: cutting down on infections from antibiotic-resistant “superbugs”.
First used in children in 2010,the pneumococcal vaccine was linked to a 62 percent reduction between 2009 and 2013 of drug-resistant infections of bacterial pneumonia, meningitis and bloodstream infections for children under 5. “The vaccine is an important tool against antibiotic resistance,” said lead researcher Sara Tomczyk, an epidemic intelligence service office in the Respiratory Disease Control and Prevention.
“Along with appropriate antibiotic use, it is part of the solution to protecting ourselves against the growing threat of antibiotic resistance”, she added.
The preumococcal vaccine is currently recommended for all children age 5 and younger. Pneumococcal bacteria can cause ear infections, pneumonia and meningitis. It is the most common vaccine-preventable bacteria cause of death, the researcher noted.
Antibiotic-resistant strains are especially worrisome because stands drugs to not seem to help fight these bacteria.
But the advent of the pneumococcal vaccine may have lessened the danger. According to Tomczyk, more than 4,400 cases of antibiotic-resistant, invasipneumococcal disease were prevented between 2010to 2013.
“Not only does this vaccine prevent pneumococcal infection, which means fever, antibiotics are prescribed, but it also prevents antibiotic-resistant infections” she added.
Tomczyk said the vaccine has been so effective that the U.S government’s Healthy people 2020 goal of reducing bacteria-resistant pneumococcal disease from 9.3 to 6 cases per 100,000 children was achieved nine years early and has since dropped to 3.5 cases per 100,000.
The vaccine is required in three-quarters of states before a child can be admitted to daycare, Tamczyk noted, and 85 percent of U.S children have by now received the recommended four doses.
Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine is given in four doses, at 2, 4 and 6 months of age and 12 through 15 months.
The results of the study were scheduled to be presented in Philadephia this October at IDweek, the annual meeting of a number of groups focused on infections disease. Experts note that findings presented at medical meetings are typically considered preliminary until published in a peer-reviewed journal.
Dr. Adriana Cadilla, a pediatrician at Miami, said, “Its wonderful news that we have proof that the vaccine works as well as it does”.
It has clearly reduced antibiotic-resistant pneumococcal disease, she added. “It seem to be doing a great job. It is something parents should make sure their children have”.
The vaccine is not just for kids, Tomczyk stressed. One dose is recommended for all adults 65 and older, followed by dose of the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine six to 12 months later.
There are more than 90 types of pneumococcal bacteria, she noted. The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine protects against 13 of the most common severe pneumococcal infections among children, while the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine protects against 23 types of pneumococcal bacteria, including those most likely to cause serious disease, which is why both are recommended for older adults.
Additionally, one dose of the pneumoccoccal vaccine is recommended for adults 19 and older who have certain cancers, HIV or kidney failure, followed by doses of polysaccharide vaccine, Tomczyk said.
Need A flu Shot?
The American Academy of Paediatrics updated their influenza vaccine recommendations to advise that the youngest kids should have two initial doses of vaccine to build immunity.
The AAP also wants parents of children aged 2to 8 to consider getting their kids the nasal spray vaccine instead of the Flu shot if its readily available.
“Its important to get the vaccine as soon as it’s available”, said lead author Dr. Henry Bernstein, a specialist in pediatrics at North shore-LIJ Health System in New Hyde Park, N.Y.
The recommendations were published Online on September 22 in the journal pediatrics.
Last year, slightly more than 100 children died from flu, according to the US Centres for disease Control and Prevention of these, almost half had no underlying medical conditions, according to the AAP. More than 90 percent of children treated for influenza in Intensive care Units weren’t vaccinated for flu last year, the AAP reported.
Getting the flu is much worse than getting vaccinated Bernstein said.
“This is a vaccine-preventable disease and there is no question that the more people who get vaccinated, the better off we all are: Bernstein said.
Although this year’s flu vaccine protect against the same type of flu as last year’s vaccine children still need to get vaccinated, even if they were vaccinated last year, he said.
“People still need to get the vaccine, because people’s immunity wanes Overtime”, Bernstein said. Infact, antibodies to flu drop 50 percent in the six to 12 months after vaccination, according to the AAP.
Immunization
