Original articles

Decline in pneumococcal meningitis after the introduction of the heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in northern France

F Dubos¹, I Marechal¹, M O Husson², C Courouble³, M Aurel¹, A Martinot¹, the Hospital Network for Evaluating the Management of Common Childhood Diseases

¹ Paediatric Emergency and Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Paediatrics, Jeanne de Flandre Hospital and Lille-2 University, Lille, France
² EA 3925, Department of Microbiology, Bâtiment Paul Boulanger and Lille-2 University, Lille, France
³ Regional Department of Medical Information, Dr Schaffner Hospital, Lens, France

Dr F Dubos, Clinique de Pédiatrie, Hôpital Jeanne de Flandre, Avenue E. Avinée, 59037 Lille cedex, France; frandubos{at}wanadoo.fr

Background: The impact of the heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on the incidence of pneumococcal meningitis in Europe has not yet been assessed.

Objective: To determine whether heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccine implementation in northern France has resulted in a decrease in the incidence of pneumococcal meningitis in children.

Design: Multicentre retrospective cohort study from 2000 through 2005.

Settings: All paediatric departments of the 18 hospitals in northern France.

Patients: Patients <18 years of age, admitted for laboratory-confirmed pneumococcal meningitis during the study period, were included.

Interventions: Data were collected from medical files and the microbiological laboratories of each hospital and compared with the regional hospital discharge codes, using a capture–recapture method.

Main outcome measures: The study assessed and compared global and age-related incidence rates of pneumococcal meningitis in 2001 (pre-vaccine era) and 2005.

Results: 77 cases were found through the capture–recapture method. The incidence rate of pneumococcal meningitis varied from 1.65/100 000 children <18 years in 2001 to 0.80/100 000 children in 2005 (53% reduction, 95% CI 31 to 74; p = 0.08). This has so far been significant only for children <2 years of age (8.9/100 000 in 2001 to 1.8/100 000 in 2005; 82% reduction, 95% CI 52 to 95; p = 0.03).

Conclusion: A decline in pneumococcal meningitis has been observed in infants since heptavalent-pneumococcal conjugate vaccination began in our area.

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Amrine-Madsen, H., Van Eldere, J., Mera, R. M., Miller, L. A., Poupard, J. A., Thomas, E. S., Halsey, W. S., Becker, J. A., O'Hara, F. P. (2008). Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Clonal Complexes of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates Resistant to Multiple Classes of Antibiotics in Belgium, 1997 to 2004. Antimicrob. Agents Chemother. 52: 3216-3220 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Flamaing, J., Verhaegen, J., Vandeven, J., Verbiest, N., Peetermans, W. E. (2008). Pneumococcal bacteraemia in Belgium (1994 2004): the pre-conjugate vaccine era. J Antimicrob Chemother 61: 143-149 [Abstract] [Full Text]