Prävention von Pneumokokkeninfektionen

Pneumococcal infections are associated with high morbidity in the first years of life. For several decades, only polysaccharide vaccines that were effective in individuals 2 years of age or older had been available. A new pneumococcal vaccine in which polysaccharide antigens are bound to carrier proteins has been developed, and this vaccine is efficacious in children younger than 2 years of age. Currently, this vaccine is recommended in Germany for certain patients at high risk of systemic pneumococcal infections. Only universal use of the vaccine would influence the epidemiology of those infections-The positive experience with general use of the vaccine in the USA is promising and could support its extended use in Germany soon. As a prerequisite, a broad consensus is required because resulting costs and ethical aspects are still a matter of intense and controversial discussions.