Pneumococcal Vaccination of Fiji Infants

Summary

Pneumonia is the most common reason for admission of Fijian children to hospitals. The most common germ causing pneumonia is "streptococcus pneumoniae." It is a common cause of meningitis (infection around the brain and spinal cord), ear infections, and blood infections and it lives in the nose of humans. A vaccine has been developed that will help prevent these common diseases but prevents only about one quarter of pneumonia cases and it is expensive. This study explores new ways of giving this vaccine that are affordable, safe, and effective in countries such as Fiji. About 550 Fijian infants presenting at 6 weeks of age, for their first diptheria, tetanus, toxoid, pertussis vaccine immunization, to one of the participating Health Centers or Colonial War Memorial Hospital in urban Suva, Fiji will be enrolled. Children will remain in the study for 2 years. Study procedures include full vaccination against 7 types of pneumococcus, blood tests, and nasal swabs.

Timeline

Start

2005-11

Primary completion

2008-01

Completion

2008-08

Publications

• Russell FM, Balloch A, Licciardi PV, Carapetis JR, Tikoduadua L, Waqatakirewa L, Cheung YB, Mulholland EK, Tang ML. Serotype-specific avidity is achieved following a single dose of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and is enhanced by 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide booster at 12 months. Vaccine. 2011 Jun 15;29(27):4499-506. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2011.04.038. Epub 2011 May 1.
• Russell FM, Carapetis JR, Burton RL, Lin J, Licciardi PV, Balloch A, Tikoduadua L, Waqatakirewa L, Cheung YB, Tang ML, Nahm MH, Mulholland EK. Opsonophagocytic activity following a reduced dose 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine infant primary series and 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at 12 months of age. Vaccine. 2011 Jan 10;29(3):535-44. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.10.046. Epub 2010 Oct 31.
• Russell FM, Carapetis JR, Satzke C, Tikoduadua L, Waqatakirewa L, Chandra R, Seduadua A, Oftadeh S, Cheung YB, Gilbert GL, Mulholland EK. Pneumococcal nasopharyngeal carriage following reduced doses of a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine booster. Clin Vaccine Immunol. 2010 Dec;17(12):1970-6. doi: 10.1128/CVI.00117-10. Epub 2010 Oct 13.
• Russell FM, Carapetis JR, Balloch A, Licciardi PV, Jenney AW, Tikoduadua L, Waqatakirewa L, Pryor J, Nelson J, Byrnes GB, Cheung YB, Tang ML, Mulholland EK. Hyporesponsiveness to re-challenge dose following pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at 12 months of age, a randomized controlled trial. Vaccine. 2010 Apr 26;28(19):3341-9. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.02.087. Epub 2010 Mar 4.
• Russell FM, Licciardi PV, Balloch A, Biaukula V, Tikoduadua L, Carapetis JR, Nelson J, Jenney AW, Waqatakirewa L, Colquhoun S, Cheung YB, Tang ML, Mulholland EK. Safety and immunogenicity of the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine at 12 months of age, following one, two, or three doses of the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in infancy. Vaccine. 2010 Apr 19;28(18):3086-94. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2010.02.065. Epub 2010 Mar 1.

Drugs

Indications