SYNOPSIS
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) offers no clinical benefits for adults, instead increasing pneumonia and hospitalization risks, particularly in vulnerable subgroups.
TITLE
Evaluating clinical effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumonia among middle-aged and older adults in Catalonia: results from the EPIVAC cohort study
CITATION
Vila-Corcoles A, Ochoa-Gondar O, de Diego C, Satue E, Aragón M, Vila-Rovira A, Gomez-Bertomeu F, Margarolas R, Figuerola-Massana E, Raga X, Perez MO, Ballester F. Evaluating clinical effectiveness of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination against pneumonia among middle-aged and older adults in Catalonia: results from the EPIVAC cohort study. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2018;18:196.
SUMMARY
This recent study conducted in over two million middle-aged and older adults in Catalonia found that individuals who received the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) were sicker than non-PCV13-vaccinated individuals. PCV13 vaccination was associated with an increased risk of all-cause pneumonia, an increased risk of hospitalization for pneumonia and increased case fatality for both pneumococcal pneumonia and all pneumonia. The vaccine was also associated with an increased risk of all-cause pneumonia in subgroups such as the elderly and immune-compromised. One mechanism possibly explaining the results is that the PCV13 vaccine may alter the flora in the sinuses and respiratory tract and lead to more infections with microorganisms not covered by the vaccine. The researchers’ conclusion is that PCV13 vaccination has no clinical benefit for adults.