Publication

Impact of national ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine program on reducing antimicrobial use and tympanostomy tube placement in Finland

Authored by:

Palmu AA, Rinta-Kokiko H, Nohynek H et al.

Full Citation:

Palmu AA, Rinta-Kokiko H, Nohynek H et al. 2018. Impact of national ten-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine program on reducing antimicrobial use and tympanostomy tube placement in Finland. Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 37(1).

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Use of vaccines decreases the need to use health services and treatments, like antibiotics, to treat disease.

Key Evidence: Over a four-year period following the introduction of PCV-10 in Finland, purchases of antimicrobials that are recommended for the treatment of acute otitis media (middle-ear infection) for children born during these years fell by nearly 18%, compared to pre-vaccine years, and the rate of surgeries to place ear tubes for severe cases fell 15%. Although it is considered a mild disease, acute otitis media caused by pneumococcus is 1,000 times more common in young children than invasive pneumococcal disease, such as pneumonia or meningitis, and thus the public health impact of the vaccine in reducing otitis media cases and in saving health care costs is considerable.