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Media release from the University of Otago
Thursday 22 July 2021, 01:44 PM
2 minutes to Read
Study examines the real-life long-term impact of routine introduction of vaccine
Introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCV) to childhood routine vaccination in The Gambia reduced severe infections associated with pneumococcal disease, according to new research published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases, the world’s leading infectious diseases journal.
Pneumococcal disease is caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae, the leading bacterial cause of pneumonia across the world, leading to approximately half a million deaths in children every year. PCV are being rolled out globally, but because they don’t cover all the strains (serotypes) of Streptococcus pneumoniae, rollout requires careful surveillance to be certain that there is an overall benefit from the vaccines.