Role Of Pneumococcal Vaccination Research Articles

The role of pneumococcal vaccination in reducing cardiovascular risk in cardiac patients: Expert opinion of the Prevention Committee of the Polish Cardiac Society supported by the Polish Vaccinology Society.

Respiratory diseases have been the fourth most common cause of death in Poland in recent years. Respiratory infection, especially pneumonia, can lead to exacerbation of chronic cardiovascular disease.Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common bacterial pathogen causing community-acquired pneumonia. Pneumococci are also the most common pathogen complicating the course of infection with the influenza virus. Pneumonia, especially invasive pneumococcal disease, is associated with risk of death in the course of respiratory failure or sepsis and also with worsening of the prognosis for existing cardiovascular disease. Despite those facts, recommendations for pneumococcal vaccination are still not well established in cardiovascular guidelines. This expert opinion aims to summarize current knowledge on the importance of preventing invasive pneumococcal disease in cardiac patients.

Promising Expectations for Pneumococcal Vaccination during COVID-19.

The emergence of new viral infections has increased over the decades. The novel virus is one such pathogen liable for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, popularly known as coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Most fatalities during the past century’s influenza pandemics have cooperated with bacterial co/secondary infections. Unfortunately, many reports have claimed that bacterial co-infection is also predominant in COVID-19 patients (COVID-19 associated co/secondary infection prevalence is up to 45.0%). In the COVID-19 pandemic, Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common coinfecting pathogen. Half of the COVID-19 mortality cases showed co-infection, and pneumonia-related COVID-19 mortality in patients >65 years was 23%. The weakening of immune function caused by COVID-19 remains a high-risk factor for pneumococcal disease. Pneumococcal disease and COVID-19 also have similar risk factors. For example, underlying medical conditions on COVID-19 and pneumococcal diseases increase the risk for severe illness at any age; COVID-19 is now considered a primary risk factor for pneumococcal pneumonia and invasive pneumococcal disease. Thus, pneumococcal vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic has become more critical than ever. This review presents positive studies of pneumococcal vaccination in patients with COVID-19 and other medical conditions and the correlational effects of pneumococcal disease with COVID-19 to prevent morbidity and mortality from co/secondary infections and superinfections. It also reports the importance and role of pneumococcal vaccination during the current COVID-19 pandemic era to strengthen the global health system.

Antagonism between pneumococcal vaccines and COVID-19

The review examines the clinical and epidemiological links between COVID-19 and pneumonia. At the same time, both general patterns linking viral respiratory infections and bacterial infections of the lower respiratory tract are discussed, as well as recent data relating directly to COVID-19. The clinical aspects of secondary infections, the peculiarities of their etiology, course and outcomes are analyzed separately. The publication provides a short essay on the history of the development of vaccines against pneumococcal infection. The current vaccines against pneumococcal infection are described, their brief characteristics and individual characteristics are given, their clinical and immunological advantages and disadvantages are analyzed. The data on the effectiveness of vaccine prophylaxis using pneumococcal vaccine are presented. The specific and nonspecific effects of vaccine prophylaxis both at the population level and at the level of an individual organism as a whole and in particular when using vaccines against pneumococci are considered separately. Data on the putative biochemical and molecular mechanisms of these effects are presented. Based on the data presented, the need for the use of pneumococcal vaccines in the prevention of the spread of the SARS-Cov2 virus, the prevention of complications of COVID-19 and the rehabilitation of patients who have undergone this infection is substantiated. When considering the role of pneumococcal vaccines in the rehabilitation of patients who have undergone COVID-19, their potential is analyzed both in accelerating the restoration of the normal functioning of the immune system and in the prevention of superinfections. The ways of further research in this direction are outlined, which include the development of protocols for certain groups of patients with concomitant diseases and immuno-compromised contingents. In this direction, the role of a thorough and comprehensive study of the immunological and clinical indicators of this category of persons is emphasized.

Early deaths in bloodstream infections: a population-based case series

A notable portion of deaths in bloodstream infections (BSI) have previously been shown to occur within 2 days after taking the first positive blood culture specimen. The aim of this study was to analyse patients’ characteristics and causative pathogens of BSIs, leading to early deaths in order to explore possibilities for prevention. Patients with BSI in Helsinki and Uusimaa region (population = 1.5 million) in 2007 were identified from the National Infectious Disease Register (n = 2181) and their deaths within 2 days after the first positive blood culture from the Population Information System (n = 76). Of the early fatal BSIs, 42 (55%) were community-acquired (CA-BSI) and 34 (45%) healthcare-associated (HA-BSI). Charlson comorbidity index was moderate-to-high (index ≥ 3) in 71% of HA-BSIs and 60% of CA-BSIs. The most common pathogens in CA-BSIs were Streptococcus pneumoniae (29%) and Escherichia coli (24%) and in HA-BSIs Pseudomonas aeruginosa (24%) and Staphylococcus aureus (18%). The respiratory tract (50%) was the most common focus of infection. Empiric antimicrobial treatment was more often appropriate in CA-BSIs vs HA-BSIs (81% vs 41%, p < 0.001), but treatment delays were longer in CA-BSIs. The majority of the BSI patients who died early had severe comorbidities. S. pneumoniae accounted for one third of CA-BSIs, highlighting the potential role of pneumococcal vaccines in prevention. Early recognition of BSI and its origin (CA-BSI vs HA-BSI) is crucial. Continuous surveillance data on causative microbes and resistance trends in hospitals is needed to propose guidelines for empiric antimicrobial therapy of BSIs.

Role of pneumococcal vaccination in prevention of pneumococcal disease among adults in Singapore.

The burden of disease associated with Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in adults can be considerable but is largely preventable through routine vaccination. Although substantial progress has been made with the recent licensure of the new vaccines for prevention of pneumonia in adults, vaccine uptake rates need to be improved significantly to tackle adult pneumococcal disease effectively. Increased education regarding pneumococcal disease and improved vaccine availability may contribute to a reduction in pneumococcal disease through increased vaccination rates. The increase in the elderly population in Singapore as well as globally makes intervention in reducing pneumococcal disease an important priority. Globally, all adult vaccines remain underused and family physicians give little priority to pneumococcal vaccination for adults in daily practice. Family physicians are specialists in preventive care and can be leaders in ensuring that adult patients get the full benefit of protection against vaccine-preventable diseases. They can play a key role in the immunization delivery of new and routine vaccines by educating the public on the risks and benefits associated with vaccines. Local recommendations by advisory groups on vaccination in adults will also help to tackle vaccine preventable diseases in adults.

The Spectrum of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Adults in the XXI Century

Streptococcus pneumoniae is the most common cause of community-acquired pneumonia and bacterial meningitis in adults. Despite the availability of potent antibiotics and the development of different pneumococcal vaccines, the burden of pneumococcal infections in terms of morbidity, hospitalizations, mortality, and healthcare costs continues to be tremendous. The different pneumococcal serotypes play an important role in some aspects of pneumococcal epidemiology. The introduction of the 7-valent conjugate vaccine among children led to important changes not only in the epidemiology but also in the clinical outcomes and mortality of invasive pneumococcal disease in adults. Moreover, with the widespread use of immunosuppressive and immunomodulating therapies for different medical conditions, we may expect an increase in the number of patients at a high risk of pneumococcal infections in the following years. The influence of immunosuppression as a risk factor for invasive pneumococcal disease, the changes in the dynamics of pneumococcal serotypes, the influence of pneumococcal serotypes on the clinical presentation of pneumococcal invasive disease, and the role of pneumococcal vaccines are some of the important issues that are discussed in this review.

Role of pneumococcal vaccine on the incidence of childhood empyema

Role of pneumococcal vaccine on the incidence of childhood empyema