Publication

Neonatal invasive pneumococcal disease: New Zealand experience in the era of pneumococcal vaccination

Authored by:

Mount V, Burton C, Jackson C, et al.

Full Citation:

Mount V, Burton C, Jackson C, et al. 2017. Neonatal invasive pneumococcal disease: New Zealand experience in the era of pneumococcal vaccination. Aust NZ J Obstet Gynaecol. 57(3).

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Additional key concepts from this publication:

Maternal immunization offers an opportunity to protect the mother and fetus, but also passes this protection on to the infant after birth.

Key Evidence: Despite the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in the childhood immunization program in New Zealand, the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in neonates (<30 days old) remains relatively high at 6 per 100,000 (versus 2/100,000 in the U.S.). Out of 19 cases in infants <30 days old in this study, 9 (47%) occurred during the first 7 days of life and 6 within the first 48 hours. If proven effective, maternal vaccination would cover 74% to 84% of the serotypes that infected these infants, depending on the vaccine.

Inequities exist in marginalized populations and minority groups who may have poorer access to health services, including immunizations.

Key Evidence: In a study of invasive pneumococcal disease in neonates in New Zealand following the introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) for infants, 67% of the cases in children <7 days old were of Maori ethnicity, while Maoris make up only 27% of New Zealand’s population. This over-representation of Maoris may be due to poverty and crowded living conditions and suggests that crowded households may be slower to experience the benefits of population-wide pneumococcal vaccination.