Serotype prevalence of Streptococcus pneumoniae in Malaysia – the need for carriage studies
- Author:
Hannah C. McNeil
;
Stuart C. Clarke
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
Streptococcus pneumonia;
serotype;
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine;
surveillance
- MeSH:
Streptococcus pneumoniae
- From:
The Medical Journal of Malaysia
2016;71(3):134-138
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Pneumococcal disease, caused by the bacterium
Streptococcus pneumoniae, is a major burden to global
health. Although the World Health Organisation (WHO)
strongly recommends the inclusion of pneumococcal
conjugate vaccines in national immunisation programmes
(NIP’s) worldwide, this has not occurred in many countries
in the WHO South East Asia and Western Pacific regions –
particularly longstanding middle-income countries. It is
widely accepted that carriage of S. pneumoniae is a
precursor to developing any pneumococcal disease. The
reduction in pneumococcal disease from vaccine serotypes
(VT) following widespread implementation of the
pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) is believed to be
through the direct immunogenic protective effect of
immunised individuals as well as indirectly through herd
immunity diminishing the incidence of disease in nonimmunised
individuals. In Malaysia, pneumococcal disease
is not included in national surveillance programmes and
although PCVs have been licensed, they have not been
included in the NIP. Hence, the vaccine is only available
privately and the majority of the population is not able to
afford it. There is an urgent need to develop surveillance
programmes in Malaysia to include pneumococcal serotype
data from carriage and invasive disease so that it may help
guide national vaccine policy prior to a decision being taken
on the inclusion of PCVs in the NIP.
- Full text:P020160812313742341796.pdf
