Vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae in Children Born between 2015 and 2018 in Poland—How Has the Introduction of Free Compulsory Pneumococcal Vaccination Affected Its Uptake?

Abstract

Starting from 2017, pneumococcal vaccination was added to the Polish vaccination calendar as mandatory for all children born after 2016. The 10-valent conjugate vaccine was selected as mandatory and therefore free of charge. This paper aims to examine the impact of introducing mandatory vaccination on vaccine uptake. For this purpose, an analysis was conducted for 1595 vaccination record sheets from outpatient clinics in Wrocław and surrounding villages for children born 2015–2018. After the introduction of compulsory vaccination, the percentage of children fully vaccinated against pneumococcus increased (60.4% vs. 84.8%, p < 0.001). A significant decrease in the number of children who did not receive any dose of the vaccine was observed (27.8% to 3.3%, p < 0.001). The introduction of compulsory vaccination did not affect the completion of the pneumococcal schedule (11.8% vs. 11.9%). Compulsory PCV10 vaccination resulted in the less frequent choice of the 13-valent vaccine (72.3% vs. 19.9%, p < 0.001). More children in rural outpatient clinics were vaccinated against pneumococcus compared to urban outpatient clinics (84.8% vs. 70.8%, p < 0.001). The introduction of free pneumococcal vaccination increased the proportion of children vaccinated, although it did not affect the rate of discontinuation of the initiated schedule. In Poland, the increased popularity of the 10-valent vaccine at the expense of the 13-valent one translated into a change in the proportion of pneumococcal serotypes causing invasive pneumococcal disease.

The burden of infectious diseases throughout and after the COVID‐19 pandemic (2020–2023) and Russo‐Ukrainian war migration

“…According to WHO data, in 2022, the percentage of fully vaccinated children in Poland against S. pneumoniae was 61% compared to 83% for the European region. Therefore, further effort must be made to increase coverage of this vaccine, which to date has predominantly been administrated as a 10‐valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine instead of a 13‐valent one 34 . The latter includes an antigen of the 19 A serotype, substantially increasing its prevalence in Poland and becoming one of the most common 35 .…”

The Influence of Introducing Free Vaccination against Streptococcus pneumoniae on the Uptake of Recommended Vaccination in Poland

“…Introducing a vaccination into the mandatory vaccination calendar and thus making it free of charge increases vaccination coverage and also reduces the incidence of a particular infection. The factor that is eliminated in such a case is the financial barrier [ 15 , 16 ]. However, it is not clear how the introduction of one vaccination into the calendar affects the performance of other vaccinations, particularly those that are not listed as free of charge.…”