Pneumococcal Vaccination of Otitis-prone Children

Conjugate Pneumococcal Vaccination - a Randomized Study in Young Otitis-prone Children

Acute otitis media (AOM) is a common childhood disease, which becomes recurrent in 15-20% of the cases. Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the leading causative agents, and a small reduction in the number of AOM episodes has been noted in unselected child cohorts after vaccination with conjugate heptavalent pneumococcal vaccine. This study was performed in order to investigate whether vaccination could reduce the number of AOM episodes in very young, otitis-prone children.

Ninetysix children (46 vaccinated, 50 not) with an onset of AOM before six months of age, implying a high risk for developing rAOM, were recruited between 2003 and 2007. They were closely followed with clinical visits and nasopharyngeal cultures until the age of two years.

Inclusion Criteria: First episode of acute otitis media before 6 months of age and verified by an otorhinolaryngologist.

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Exclusion Criteria: Allergy to the vaccine, anatomical abnormality (eg cleft palate), chromosomal abnormality, immune deficiency, prematurity, prior administration of gammaglobulin or pneumococcal vaccine and a history of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura.

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