Kids not getting new pneumococcal vaccine

ATLANTA, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- Identification of invasive pneumococcal disease cases and low vaccine rates suggest children age newborn to 59 months are unprotected, U.S. officials say.

A report published in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report said health officials analyzed data from an ongoing effectiveness evaluation intended to determine the number of children with invasive pneumococcal disease among children who had not previously been vaccinated with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13.

Pneumococcal disease is caused by a common type of bacteria, the pneumococcus, which can attack different parts of the body -- causing pneumonia, meningitis, middle ear and sinus infections and a condition called bacteremia, which is an infection of the blood, CDC officials said.

The report said results of both analyses indicate many children are not receiving pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 as recommended by the U.S. Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, leaving them unprotected against invasive pneumococcal disease.

The vaccine, also called Prevnar 13, covers 13 pneumococcal serotypes that cause the majority of pneumococcal infections in young children. It has been licensed and recommended for U.S. children since February 2010 -- replacing the previous version of Prevnar, known as pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 7, which included 7 pneumococcal serotypes.

"Vaccine providers should administer a supplemental dose of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to all children ages 14 (months) to 59 months who have received an age-appropriate pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 7 series, complete the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 7 series with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 for children who have not completed the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 7 series and ensure that younger children who have not had any pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 7 receive the full pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 13 primary series," the report said.