Non-specific Effects of Pneumococcal and Haemophilus Vaccines in Children Aged 5 Years and Under: a Systematic Review

Overview

Journal BMJ Open

Specialty General Medicine

Date 2023 Dec 15

PMID 38101831

Authors

Keith Geraghty

Darragh Rooney

Chris Watson

Mark T Ledwidge

Liam Glynn

Joe Gallagher

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To determine the evidence for non-specific effects of the Pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenza vaccine in children aged 5 years and under.

Data Sources: A key word literature search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, The Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, the European Union Clinical Trials Register and ClinicalTrials.gov up to June 2023.

Study Eligibility Criteria: Randomised controlled trials (RCTs), quasi-RCT or cohort studies.

Participants: Children aged 5 or under.

Study Appraisal And Synthesis Methods: Studies were independently screened by two reviewers, with a third where disagreement arose. Risk of bias assessment was performed by one reviewer and confirmed by a second. Results were tabulated and a narrative description performed.

Results: Four articles were identified and included in this review. We found a reduction in hospitalisations from influenza A (44%), pulmonary tuberculosis (42%), metapneumovirus (45%), parainfluenza virus type 1-3 (44%), along with reductions in mortality associated with pneumococcal vaccine. No data on the Haemophilus vaccine was found.

Conclusions And Implications: In this systematic review, we demonstrate that there is a reduction in particular viral infections in children aged 5 years and under who received the 9-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine which differ from those for which the vaccine was designed to protect against. While limited studies have demonstrated a reduction in infections other than those which the vaccine was designed to protect against, substantial clinical trials are required to solidify these findings.

Prospero Registration Number: CRD42020146640.

Citing Articles

Association of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccination With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection Among Older Adult Recipients of Coronavirus Disease 2019 Vaccines: A Longitudinal Cohort Study.

Lewnard J, Hong V, Grant L, Ackerson B, Bruxvoort K, Pomichowski M J Infect Dis. 2024; 230(5):e1082-e1091.

PMID: 39101606 PMC: 11566223. DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiae387.

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