Pneumococcal disease and vaccination recommendations – the state of play

NCIRS Research Fellow Dr Sanjay Jayasinghe recently published a feature article in Respiratory Medicine Today on the current state of play of pneumococcal disease and vaccination recommendations in Australia.

Overall large reductions in cases of the severe form of pneumococcal disease have been achieved with the pneumococcal vaccination program targeting all infants and older adults and individuals with risk conditions. However, uptake of vaccination recommendations targeting groups with risk conditions and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander adults is suboptimal, and currently a disproportionate burden of pneumococcal disease is borne by these people.  

Dr Jayasinghe writes, “Vaccine providers need to particularly focus on ensuring that all people with risk conditions are identified and given the full course of recommended pneumococcal vaccine doses.”

Read the full article here.