TITLE:
The Evolution of Pneumococcal Vaccine and Vaccine Schedule in the USA: A Narrative Review of the Last Two Decades (2003-2023)
AUTHORS:
Queen L. Ekpa, Kelechukwu P. Oranu, Okelue E. Okobi, Omowunmi Adekoya
KEYWORDS:
Pneumococcal, Vaccines, PCVs, PPVs, Invasive Pneumococcal Diseases, S. pneumoniae, Evolution
JOURNAL NAME:
World Journal of Vaccines,
Vol.15 No.1,
February
13,
2025
ABSTRACT: Streptococcus pneumoniae is a known notorious cause of invasive pneumococcal diseases as well as asymptomatic host carriage. Efforts have been made to curb this infectious organism through various vaccine strategies. However, its several strains and serotypes have necessitated various vaccine schedules and updates in the USA and globally. The evolution in pneumococcal vaccine schedules is not without challenges, such as cost, vaccine hesitancy, uptake and global disparities. This narrative review synopsizes the history of the Pneumococcal Vaccine and changes in its schedules in the last two decades based on published data. We focused on the impact of pneumococcal vaccination on invasive pneumococcal diseases, historical limitations, current challenges and future directions. Despite advancements in vaccination against S. pneumoniae infections, some pertinent issues exist that need to be swiftly fixed, to reduce national and thus global burden of pneumococcal diseases.