REVIEW

Group B streptococcal conjugate vaccines

C J Baker and M S Edwards

Section of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas 77030, USA

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr M S Edwards, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Room 302A, Houston, Texas 77030, USA;
morvene{at}bcm.tmc.edu

Linkage of bacterial capsular polysaccharides to proteins to create conjugate vaccines has had a dramatic impact on the health of children. Although unconjugated polysaccharides are poorly immunogenic in infants and some older children and adults, their covalent coupling with proteins stimulates T cell dependent antigenic recognition that profoundly enhances immunogenicity. In the decade since the introduction and widespread use of Haemophilus influenzae type b polysaccharide conjugate vaccines in the United States, invasive H influenzae infections have become a rarity in childhood.¹ Similarly, the conjugation of polysaccharides of Streptococcus pneumoniae to a derivative of diphtheria toxoid and the addition of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine to infant immunisation schedules carries with it promise for a similar decline in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease in paediatric patients.²

Keywords: vaccine; streptococcus

Abbreviations: CPS, capsular polysaccharide; GBS, group B streptococcus; GMC, geometric mean concentration; IAP, intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis; TT, tetanus toxoid

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