Streptococcus pneumoniae (SP) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Despite the availability, since the early 1980s, of a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PP V23), its recommendation and increased use in the last decades, and the indirect benefits against invasive pneumococcal diseases following the pediatric immunization strategies with the 7-valent pneumococca...

OBJECTIVE To determine the penicillin resistance and serotype distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae strains and to identify clonal relationships of isolates resistant to penicillin by means of pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). METHODS In total, 193 S. pneumoniae strains were isolated from clinical specimens between November 1997 and January 2000. Susceptibility testing was carried o...

BACKGROUND Nowadays, there are two vaccination strategies in Colombia to prevent pneumococcal diseases in people over 50 years. Our aim is to estimate cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13-valent (PCV13) versus pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 23-valent (PPSV23) to prevent pneumococcal diseases and their related mortality in people over 50 years old in Colombia. METHODS A...

Controversy exists regarding the optimal use of the 23-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine for the protection of high-risk individuals, such as children and adults with immunocompromising conditions and the elderly. The effectiveness and immunogenicity of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23) are limited in such high-risk populations compared to the healthy, with meta-analyses...

BACKGROUND Streptococcus pneumoniae is a major cause of morbidity and mortality among adults 50 years of age and older in the United States. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines are efficacious against pneumococcal disease in children and may also offer advantages in adults. METHODS We performed a randomized, modified double-blind trial that compared a single dose of 13-valent pneumococcal conjuga...

BACKGROUND Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is a chronic autoimmune disease which is characterized by B-cell abnormality and auto-antibody generation. Since bacterial infections are the most important causes of mortality in these patients, pneumococcal vaccination is recommended for children with SLE. OBJECTIVE To investigate humoral immunity and specific-antibody formation in response to a...

Three years after a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine was replaced by a 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in the Netherlands, we observed a decrease in incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes 1, 5, and 7F. Our data do not support or exclude cross-protection against serotype 19A.