Pneumococcal vaccination: an important strategy to prevent pneumonia in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island adults

Abstract

The objective of the study was to examine the appropriateness of the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) recommendations concerning pneumococcal vaccination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island adults. Laboratory surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease identified 95 cases acquired by adults 15 years of age and over in Far North Queensland from 1992 to 1995. The most common diagnosis

The epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease in children in Far North Queensland

“…We are not aware of any other study that has documented such a differing variety of invasive serotypes in populations of children living in the same geographical area. The absence of serotype 23F disease was unexpected because it is usually one of the predominant invasive serotypes in young children 5 and has been identified among the invasive serotypes in adults in Far North Queensland 7 …”

“…Laboratory surveillance of invasive pneumococcal disease was commenced in Far North Queensland in 1992; it became a notifiable disease in Queensland in 1996. Details of the surveillance system, the laboratory methods and data collection have been published elsewhere 7 …”

The initial coverage and impact of the pneumococcal and influenza vaccination program for at‐risk Indigenous adults in Far North Queensland

“…Details of the surveillance system, the laboratory methods and data collection have been published elsewhere. 1 All cases of invasive pneumococcal disease that occurred in Indigenous adults ≥15 years of age in Far North Queensland between 1993 and 2000 were included in the study. A case of invasive pneumococcal disease was considered as being 'vaccinepreventable' if it was caused by a serotype contained within the pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine and the patient, although eligible for vaccination, 4 had either never received the vaccine or received a first dose within two weeks of the onset of the illness.…”

“…4 It was emphasised that the vaccines should be offered to those still in relatively good health, before the chronic or severe complications of pre-existing conditions develop. 1 The systematic collection of pneumococcal and influenza vaccination records onto an Epi Info database began in 1996. The database enabled listings of those due for either vaccine to be sent to each community early in the subsequent years, in time for the program's annual vaccination 'season' (March-June inclusive).…”

Cost-effectiveness studies of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

“…Australia Australian Aborigines suffer extremely high rates of IPD, up to 2053 per 100,000 for infants and children less than 2 years of age [30,31], although a more general rate of 105.6 per 100,000 was used in the analysis [32]. In Australia there is a well-developed system for assessing the direct cost-effectiveness of new pharmaceuticals.…”