Abstract
Acute otitis media (AOM) constitutes a significant burden in children, in terms of clinical, psychological, social and economic costs.1,2 It is the most frequent reason for antibiotic prescriptions in children,3 thus contributing to the development of antibiotic resistance. Therefore, preventing AOM via vaccination is a promising approach.4 The impact of vaccination with the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) on AOM visits and episodes in the US has been reported in various studies. There is a broad range of reported impacts, with randomised controlled trials reporting 6-9% decreases and most observational studies reporting 13-26% decreases;5 however, one study reported a substantially higher decrease (43%).6 The 43% reduction was well outside the range reported in the other studies, possibly due to various methodological limitations.
Synflorix™ (10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Belgium) is licensed in Europe for active immunisation against invasive disease and AOM caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in infants and children from 6 weeks up to 2 years of age.7 Although not indicated for protection against AOM caused by non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) in Europe, there are data that support the hypothesis that this vaccine may also protect against AOM due to NTHi; these include data from the POET trial indicating efficacy of 33.6%, 51.5% and 35.3% for all-cause AOM, pneumococcal AOM and NTHi AOM, respectively;8 immunogenic bridging studies of Synflorix™ to the POET trial;9 and pre-clinical efficacy data in chinchillas.10 Importantly, clinical efficacy (COMPAS) and effectiveness (FinIP) trials are ongoing to evaluate potential indications for AOM and pneumonia.
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Knuf, M. 3 Preventing Acute Otitis Media Through Vaccination: What Might the Future Hold. Pediatr Res 68 (Suppl 1), 2–3 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00003
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1203/00006450-201011001-00003
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