Development, impact and effectiveness of a conjugated vaccine against Streptococcus pneumoniae

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a common nasopharinx colonizer, responsible of many invasive diseases, especially among children under 5 years-old, with the highest mortality in those less than 2 years-old. The study of antigenicity of Streptococcus pneumoniae capsule lead to the production of vaccines, beginning with polysaccharides vaccine (uneffective among infants), and after the conjugated vaccine (97.4% effectiveness with 4 doses). Based on the frequencies of the circulating serotypes in different countries in Latin America, the data shows an intermediate success with the 7-valent vaccine and better coverage with 11-valent. Vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae might be a very important public health measure in our continent.