Childhood PCV vaccination was generally recommended in Germany in 2006. Here, we present data on invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) cases following PCV introduction.
IPD in children in Germany has been monitored since 1997. Isolates were serotyped using the Neufeld Quellung reaction.
In 2018-2019, the GNRCS received 102 IPD isolates from children <2 years, of which 14 had PCV13 serotypes. Two of these were from unvaccinated children, four from incompletely vaccinated children. This represents a 34% reduction compared to 2005/2006 (n=154), but an increase since 2011-2012 (n=75). However, the PCV13 proportion has decreased from 88% prior to vaccine introduction (2005-2006), to 69% at the introduction of higher-valent vaccines (2009-2010), to 14% in 2018-2019. Future vaccines PCV15 (25%) and PCV20 (46%) would increase coverage considerably. Residual PCV13 serotypes in 2018/2019 were 3 (n=5), 19F (n=4), 19A (n=2) and 6A, 14, 23F (n=1, each). Among all three age groups (0-1y, 2-4y, 5-15y), serotypes 3, 19F and 19A persist. Among non-vaccine serotypes, 10A (n=17) and 23B (n=12) were most prevalent.
Ten years after the introduction of higher-valent vaccines, PCV13 serotypes have been reduced among children, but serotypes 3, 19F and 19A persist. Future vaccine formulation would considerably increase serotype coverage.