Vaccinating children has protective effects in adults
Vaccinating all young children against pneumococcal disease cuts the rate of infection in adults as well as in children, researchers say.
Dr David McIntosh, senior medical adviser, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, and
honorary clinical senior lecturer, Imperial College, London, reported
the research at an infections studies conference in Cardiff last week.
At a press briefing, Dr McIntosh said that in the United States, where
there has been widespread paediatric pneumococcal immunisation since
2000, a 78 per cent decrease in the disease has been seen in children.
In addition, a reduction in disease in adults has also been observed.
New data for 2002 show that since the paediatric vaccine was introduced,
there has been a 46 per cent reduction in disease in people aged 20 to
39 years, a 20 per cent reduction in people aged 40 to 64 years and a
29 per cent reduction in people aged over 65 years. “This is due
to a decrease in transmission from children to adults,” he commented. “The
serotypes of infection that have decreased are identical to those in
the vaccine.”
Dr McIntosh used these data to assess the effect of the introduction
of routine paediatric vaccine in the United Kingdom. He concluded that
it could prevent 1,957 deaths a year in the UK and approximately 16,500
cases of serious pneumococcal infection. Most of the prevented deaths
would be in adults. The cost of this intervention is £2,500 per
life year gained. “It is highly cost-effective and may even be
cost saving with reductions in antibiotic resistance,” he said.
In the UK, pneumococcal immunisation is currently recommended only for
people with particular risk factors, rather than as a routine childhood
vaccination.
Dr Jane Zuckerman, director of the academic centre for travel medicine
and vaccines, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London,
commented: “The routine administration of this vaccine in the UK
childhood immunisation programme should be actively considered in order
to protect the health needs of the very young, those deemed to be at
high risk and those over the age of 65 years.” |
