Increasing the uptake of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in children is expected to alter the serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in adults due to herd protection. We characterized 2172 cases of adult IPD in 2015–2018 in Portugal after the introduction of PCV13 in the national immunization plan of 2015. Among the 58 detected serotypes, serotypes 8 (n = 413; 19%), 3 (n = 334; 15%), 22F (n = 148; 7%), 14 (n = 138; 6%), and 19A (n = 116; 5%) were the most frequent. Among PCV13 serotypes, 7F and 19A IPD decreased, but serotype 3 IPD remained stable. The non-PCV13 serotypes were a heterogeneous group, with serotypes 23A and 23B enriched among CSF cases; serotype 8 associated with younger patients; and serotypes 22F, 6C, and 31 associated with older patients. The continued increase of serotype 8 IPD was one of the drivers for the increased coverage of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PPV23; 80% in 2015–2018). Antimicrobial resistance was associated with older age and serotypes 6C, 11A, 14, 15A, 19A, and 19F. Three years after the introduction of PCV13 in the NIP with an uptake of >95%, the proportion of PCV13 serotypes causing IPD in adults stabilized in Portugal. The direct vaccination of adults may be important in preventing IPD in this age group.

The introduction of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines PCV7 and PCV13 led to decreases in incidence of pediatric invasive pneumococcal disease (pIPD) and changes in serotype distribution. We evaluated the consequences of higher vaccine uptake after the introduction of PCV13 in the National Immunization Plan (NIP) in 2015. Besides culture and conventional serotyping, the use of molecular methods to detect and serotype pneumococci in both pleural and cerebrospinal fluid samples contributed to 30% of all pIPD (n = 232) in 2015–2018. The most frequently detected serotypes were: 3 (n = 59, 26%), 10A (n = 17, 8%), 8 (n = 16, 7%) and 19A (n = 10, 4%). PCV13 serotypes still accounted for 46% of pIPD cases. Serotypes not included in any currently available conjugate vaccine (NVT) are becoming important causes of pIPD, with the increases in serotypes 8 and 33F being of particular concern given the importance of serotype 8 in adult IPD and the antimicrobial resistance of serotype 33F isolates. This study highlights the importance of using molecular methods in pIPD surveillance since these allowed a better case ascertainment and the identification of serotype 3 as the leading cause of pIPD. Even in a situation of vaccine uptake >95% for 3 years, PCV13 serotypes remain important causes of pIPD.

The use of conjugate vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae in children has led to substantial reductions in pneumococcal invasive disease. However, the reductions seen in each of the 13 serotypes currently included in the highest-valency vaccine approved for use in children (PCV13), were not the same.