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Review
. 2023 Nov 24;11(12):1750.
doi: 10.3390/vaccines11121750.

Pneumococcal Vaccine Breakthrough and Failure in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review

Kristen Feemster  1 , Jessica Weaver  1 , Ulrike Buchwald  1 , Natalie Banniettis  1 , Kara S Cox  1 , E David McIntosh  2 , Vana Spoulou  3
Affiliations
Review

Pneumococcal Vaccine Breakthrough and Failure in Infants and Children: A Narrative Review

Kristen Feemster et al. Vaccines (Basel). .

Abstract

Globally, Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of vaccine-preventable morbidity and mortality in infants and children. In recent decades, large-scale pediatric immunization programs have substantially reduced the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease. Despite this, residual vaccine-type pneumococcal disease remains in the form of vaccine breakthrough and vaccine failure. This targeted literature review aims to discuss aspects of vaccine breakthrough and failure in infants and children, including disease epidemiology, clinical presentation, risk factors, vaccination schedules, vaccine serotypes, correlates of protection, comorbidities, disease surveillance, and potential implications for future vaccine development.

Keywords: breakthrough; children; failure; infants; pneumococcal; pneumonia; vaccine.

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Conflict of interest statement

V.S. has received honoraria for presentations and attendance at Greek and European conferences. K.F. receives royalties for authorship of a book entitled Vaccines: What Everyone Needs to Know and is a member on a board of trustees for University Liggett School and College of Physicians (Philadelphia). K.F. is also an employee of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, may hold stock or stock options in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA. N.B., U.B., K.C., D.M. and J.W. are employees of Merck Sharp & Dohme LLC, a subsidiary of Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA, may hold stock or stock options in Merck & Co., Inc., Rahway, NJ, USA.

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