Impact of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people aged 65 years or older

Collignon, Peter J

doi:10.5694/mja14.00272

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To the Editor: Menzies and colleagues promote the 23-valent polysaccharide pneumococcal vaccine (23vPPV) as effective in people aged 65 years or older.1 I believe their data show exactly the opposite. The vaccine appears to be ineffective.

Medical School, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT.

Correspondence: Peter.Collignon@act.gov.au

Competing interests:

No relevant disclosures.

1. Menzies RI, Jayasinghe SH, Krause VL, et al. Impact of pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in people aged 65 years or older. Med J Aust 2014; 200: 112-115. <MJA full text>
2. Whitney CG, Farley MM, Hadler J, et al. Decline in invasive pneumococcal disease after the introduction of protein–polysaccharide conjugate vaccine. N Engl J Med 2003; 348: 1737-1746.
3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Direct and indirect effects of routine vaccination of children with 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease — United States, 1998–2003. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2005; 54: 893-897.
4. Kyaw MH, Lynfield R, Schaffner W, et al. Effect of introduction of the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on drug-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae. N Engl J Med 2006; 354: 1455-1463.

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