Immunisation with a polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine. Effect of respiratory mortality in children living in the New Guinea highlands.

Abstract

In Tari, in the southern highlands of Papua New Guinea, each child experienced, on average, 2 acute lower respiratory tract infections (ALRTI) between birth and age 5 yr. The yearly mortality rate from ALRTI was 30/1000 in infants and 4/1000 in children aged 1-4 yr . A double-blind controlled trial of a 14-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine was carried out on 871 children from this community who were aged 6 mo.-5 yr. Morbidity from ALRTI was lower (by 37%) in children given the vaccine provided they were at least 17 mo. of age at the time of immunization. There were 8 deaths from ALRTI in the placebo group, but only 1 death in the vaccine group.