What can be done?
Pneumococcal meningitis, septicaemia and pneumonia are life-threatening infections.1
Difficulties in diagnosing and treating pneumococcal infections make prevention an important weapon in fighting these diseases.2,3
Meningococcal meningitis is often associated with septicaemia, producing the tell-tale non-blanching rash which is important to look out for. However, pneumococcal meningitis is less often associated with septicaemia, therefore the rash is not so often helpful in its diagnosis. Treatment of a pneumococcal infection would normally be with antibiotics.3,4
The consequences of delayed treatment can be profound, increasing the risk of complications and a poor outcome. Consequently, despite new and effective antibiotic therapies, outcomes have been only modestly improved.4
The World Health Organisation (WHO) made a decision to support the inclusion of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in national immunisation programmes worldwide. In view of the demonstrated vaccine efficacy and high disease burden, WHO notes that PCV can help substantially reduce mortality and morbidity.1
Pneumococcal disease is a significant concern to children’s health, estimated by WHO to result in up to 1 million deaths each year in young children around the world.1
Prevention of pneumococcal infections by immunisation therefore remains the most rational approach to disease management.4 The need for routine infant pneumococcal vaccination is widely accepted amongst experts in childhood infectious disease.1
- World Health Organization Pneumococcal vaccines. Weekly Epidemiological Record 2003; 78(14): 110 – 119.
- Prevenar package insert.
- Bradshaw D., Bourne D., Nannan N. What are the leading causes of death among South Africa children? MRC Policy Brief 2003; 3. (Unpublished data).
- Department of Health, Chief Medical Officer. Preventing meningitis. 7 December 2006. http://www.dh.gov.uk/AboutUs/
MinistersAndDepartmentLeaders/
ChiefMedicalOfficer/ProgressOnPolicy/Program. (Accessed: 20 September 2007)
