Pneumococcal and meningococcal vaccines - A significant reduction of pediatric admissions and deaths

Abstract

Abstract Background Mortality rates associated with paediatric inpatient stays in mainland Portuguese Hospitals have decreased approximately 50%, between 2000 and 2016, despite the majority of deaths occurring in hospitals. During this timeframe meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines were introduced in the National Vaccination Programme (NVP). In this study, the authors analyzed admission and mortality rates associated with vaccine preventable diseases such as pneumococcal and meningococcal disease. Methods A sequential cross-sectional retrospective study was performed, from 2000 and 2016, to assess the hospitalizations for meningitis, sepsis and pneumonia of children and adolescents at the SNS (National Health Service) hospitals in mainland Portugal. An administrative Portuguese database that contains all the public hospital admissions to mainland Portugal hospitals was utilized and diagnoses were coded per ICD9. National Institute Of Statistics (INE) data was accessed as reference. All admissions of individuals 17 years old and younger were analysed. Results A 10-fold reduction of admissions and deaths for pneumococcal pneumonia and a 3-fold reduction of meningococcal sepsis were observed after the introduction of the antipneumococcal and antimeningococcal vaccine in the NVP, respectively. Conclusions These results highlight the importance of vaccination to prevent illness, hospital admissions and deaths in children and can provide evidence to educate the public towards vaccination. Key messages The results highlight the importance of vaccination to prevent illness, hospital admissions and deaths in children. The results show a 10x reduction in pneumococcal pneumonia hospital admission and deaths and a 3x in meningococcal meningitis.