The safety of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine

Abstract

Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most important bacterial pathogens of young children. Currently, there are several conjugate vaccines against S. pneumoniae in various stages of laboratory development, clinical evaluation or currently licensed. Heptavalent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Wyeth Lederle; PCV-7) is the only currently approved pneumococcal conjugate vaccine indicated against invasive pneumococcal disease for children younger than two years of age. Safety studies have shown that the PCV-7 is acceptably safe when administered alone, simultaneously with other childhood vaccines or in combination with Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccines. In addition, PCV-7 vaccine was generally safe and immunogenic among infants infected with HIV and those with sickle cell disease. Surveillance studies to monitor the serotype distribution in invasive pneumococcal disease is important to determine that PCV-7 continues to be the optimal vaccination for prevention of pneumococcal invasive disease.