Effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease in older adults

Vaccine. 2025 Jan 12:44:126543. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2024.126543. Epub 2024 Dec 4.

Abstract

Background: In 2014, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended routine use of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) in adults age ≥ 65 years. Incidence of most PCV13-serotype cases declined, however serotype 3 cases have persisted. We estimated PCV13 vaccine effectiveness (VE) against PCV13-serotypes and serotype 3 invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) among Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC) adults.

Methods: This observational study included adults ≥65 years between September 1, 2014-December 31, 2020. We used active laboratory-based surveillance to identify and serotype all Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates obtained from normally-sterile sites. We estimated the odds ratio (OR) of vaccine-type IPD using conditional logistic regression stratified by age and calendar day, adjusting for sex, age, race, ethnicity, influenza vaccine receipt, 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine receipt since age 65, pneumonia risk factors, healthcare utilization, and KPNC service area. We estimated VEAdjusted as (1-ORAdjusted) × 100 %.

Results: There were 610,576 adults ≥65 years in the study population. By the end of the study period, PCV13 coverage was nearly 80 %. There were 307 IPD cases during the study period, of which 98 (31.9 %) were serotype 3. PCV13 was associated with a VEAdjusted of 61.5 % (95 % CI: 36.2, 76.7; p < 0.001) against PCV13-serotype IPD and 46.3 % (95 % CI: -2.4, 77.9; p = 0.06) against serotype 3 IPD.

Conclusions: PCV13 vaccination protected adults ≥65 years against IPD due to PCV13 serotypes. Continued surveillance will be critical in the ≥65-year-old population to assess the impact of higher valent PCVs on IPD serotype distribution, including individual serotypes such as serotype 3.

Keywords: Adults; Invasive pneumococcal disease; Vaccine effectiveness.

Publication types

  • Observational Study

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • California / epidemiology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Male
  • Pneumococcal Infections* / epidemiology
  • Pneumococcal Infections* / immunology
  • Pneumococcal Infections* / prevention & control
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines* / administration & dosage
  • Pneumococcal Vaccines* / immunology
  • Serogroup*
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae* / classification
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae* / immunology
  • Vaccination / statistics & numerical data
  • Vaccine Efficacy / statistics & numerical data
  • Vaccines, Conjugate* / administration & dosage
  • Vaccines, Conjugate* / immunology

Substances

  • Pneumococcal Vaccines
  • 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine
  • Vaccines, Conjugate