Impact of 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Nasopharyngeal Carriage Rates of Streptococcus pneumoniae in a Rural Community in the Dominican Republic.

2021

S237-S247

2021 Sep 01

1537-6613

<p><strong>BACKGROUND: </strong>Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) leads to thousands of pediatric deaths annually. Pneumococcal colonization precedes IPD. In 2013, the Dominican Republic introduced the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) into its routine infant immunization program, with doses at ages 2, 4, and 12 months. Prevalence of pneumococcal nasopharyngeal colonization was evaluated post-PCV13 introduction.</p>

<p><strong>METHODS: </strong>A prospective cohort study of 125 children aged 2-35 months was conducted in a rural Dominican Republic community November 2016 through July 2017. Nasopharyngeal swabs and clinical and vaccination data were collected at enrollment and 4-6 months later. Serotypes included in PCV13 were defined as vaccine-type. Colonization rates and serotype distribution were compared at baseline and follow-up, and the association between colonization and vaccination status among the entire cohort was evaluated at each time point.</p>

<p><strong>RESULTS: </strong>Of 125 children enrolled, 118 (94%) completed follow-up. Overall and vaccine-type pneumococcal colonization rates were 62% and 25%, respectively, at baseline and 60% and 28% at follow-up. Among children age-eligible for 3 doses, 50% and 51% were fully vaccinated at baseline and follow-up, respectively. At baseline assessment, children up-to-date for age for PCV13 were less likely to be colonized with vaccine-type pneumococci than children not up-to-date, and the same was found for fully vaccinated children (3 doses) compared to those not fully vaccinated (odds ratios [ORs], 0.38 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .18-.79], and 0.14 [95% CI, .04-.45], respectively). The same associations were not found at follow-up assessment.</p>

<p><strong>CONCLUSIONS: </strong>Three years post -PCV13 introduction, vaccine-type colonization rates remained high. Low vaccination coverage for 3 PCV13 doses may have contributed. The protective effect of PCV13 on vaccine-type carriage suggests an increase in PCV13 coverage could lead to substantial declines in pneumococcal vaccine-type carriage.</p>

10.1093/infdis/jiab172

J Infect Dis

34469551

Assessment of the impact of inpatient infectious events in pediatric patients with newly diagnosed acute leukemia at Dr. Robert Reid Cabral Children's Hospital, Dominican Republic.

2020

e0243795

2020

1932-6203

<p>Survival rates for pediatric acute leukemia vary dramatically worldwide. Infections are a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, and the impact is amplified in low and middle-income countries. Defining the epidemiology of infection in a specific health care setting is paramount to developing effective interventions. This study aimed to define the epidemiology of and outcomes from infection in children with acute leukemia treated in a large public pediatric hospital in the Dominican Republic. A retrospective cohort was assembled of children newly diagnosed with acute leukemia between July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2017 at Hospital Infantil Dr. Robert Reid Cabral in Santo Domingo. Patients were identified from the Pediatric Oncology Network Database (PONDTM) and hospital admissions from the Oncology admissions logbook. Medical records and microbiology results were reviewed to identify all inpatient invasive infections. Distance from a child's home to the hospital was determined using ArcGIS by Esri. Infection rates were described in discrete time periods after diagnosis and risk factors for invasive infection were explored using negative binomial regression. Overall, invasive infections were common and a prominent source of death in this cohort. Rates were highest in the first 60 days after diagnosis. Gastroenteritis/colitis, cellulitis, and pneumonia were most frequent, with bacteremia common early on. Multidrug resistant bacteria were prevalent among a small number of positive cultures. In a multivariate negative binomial regression model, age ≥ 10 years and distance from the hospital &gt; 100 km were each protective against invasive infection in the first 180 days after diagnosis, findings that were unexpected and warrant further investigation. Over one-third of patient deaths were related to infection. Interventions aimed at reducing infection should target the first 60 days after diagnosis, improved supportive care inside and outside the hospital, and increased antimicrobial stewardship and infection prevention and control measures.</p>

10.1371/journal.pone.0243795

PLoS One

33320881