Three fatal pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine failures

Abstract

Three Indigenous Australian adults died of invasive pneumococcal disease, despite vaccination with the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine an average of 18 months previously. Pneumococcal isolates from the patients had serotypes that are included in the vaccine. Two of the adults were alcoholics and the other had heavy recent alcohol intake. The public health implications, and possible optimal vaccination schedules to minimise vaccine failures, are discussed.