Pneumococcal

The panel of experts examines the most recent ACIP recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination in adults aged 65 and older, highlighting key updates and changes to the guidelines.

Krista D. Capehart, PharmD, BCACP, FAPhA, Dr. Capeheart outlines the patient populations for whom pneumococcal vaccines are indicated and provides a detailed explanation of the ACIP-recommended immunization schedules for these vaccines.

The pneumococcal vaccination experts offer a comparative analysis of the five FDA-approved pneumococcal vaccines, focusing on their structural differences and the specific strains each vaccine targets.

The panel of healthcare professionals examines how strategic vaccination can effectively mitigate pneumococcal outbreaks, thereby reducing exposure risks to vulnerable populations in healthcare settings such as nursing homes and hospitals.

A medical professional examines the significant patient burden imposed by pneumococcal infections, highlighting how this burden drove the development of innovative vaccine technologies.

Key opinion leaders identify high-risk populations for invasive pneumococcal disease, explain the underlying factors contributing to their increased susceptibility, and offer strategies to improve suboptimal vaccination rates, particularly among historically underserved communities.

Medical professionals describe how pneumococcal disease manifests in adults, detailing its potentially lethal consequences such as sepsis or severe pneumonia, and explain how vaccination can effectively mitigate these serious health risks.

Medical experts outline the key indicators, symptoms, and transmission mechanisms of pneumococcal infections in adult populations.

The committee, after being presented evidence by the working group, recommended the vaccine for adults aged 65 and older and those 19 or older who have current recommendations to receive a pneumococcal vaccine.

V116 (Capvaxive; Merck) elicited higher immune responses than the comparator for the serotypes that are unique to the vaccine, according to studies submitted to the FDA.

Serotypes associated with V116 (Merck & Co. Inc.) had higher clinical and economic burden for individuals with invasive pneumococcal disease.

Pediatric patients with rheumatic disease, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease, juvenile dermatomyositis, and systemic vasculitis are at an increased risk of serious infection.

The prevalence of transmission was higher for those who had contact with children aged less than 5 years and aged 5 to 9 years compared with children aged older than 10.

The vaccine protected against serotypes 19A and 19F, but statistical significance was not reached for serotype 3.

Merck presented results from the STRIDE-10 phase 3 trial at the 34th European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases in Barcelona, Spain.

Investigators found that younger age groups had significantly longer lengths of stay compared to those older than 75 years.

Investigators also found that the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 protected against nasopharyngeal carriage in children and provided some indirect protection for adults.

Investigators found that older adults, adults with dementia, and adults with altered mental status were more likely to be inappropriately diagnosed with CAP when hospitalized.

New indications include Staphylococcus aureus bloodstream (SAB) infections, acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections, and community-acquired bacterial pneumonia.

However, investigators found that the prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae nasopharynx-oropharynx colonization was higher among younger adults.

Positive data were presented at the 13th Meeting of the International Society of Pneumonia and Pneumococcal Disease in Cape Town, South Africa.

When considering community-acquired pneumonia alone, the PCR test identified 113 bacterial detections compared with 57 for the standard of care test.

High bacterial load in cerebrospinal fluid was associated with unfavorable outcomes and death for adults with pneumococcal meningitis.

The pneumococcal vaccine was most likely associated with a higher risk of immunological events for those who were immunocompromised

Furthermore, the study authors indicated that patients with lymphoma and community-acquired pneumonia have broader dysregulated responses.

Investigators also found that those with community-acquired, radiology-confirmed pneumonia with lower respiratory tract infections had worse outcomes.

Investigators determined that the vaccination reduced the prevalence of vaccine serotypes with an effectiveness of 89.6% based on the study results.

Investigators found high incidences of non-susceptibility with penicillin and increasing resistance to macrolides for pneumococcal diseases.

Corticosteroids can reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, incidence of shock, and length of hospital stay, especially for younger patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

The 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was most likely associated with a higher risk of immunological events for those who were immunocompromised, but the events were low.