Effectiveness of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against medically attended pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection among older adults: a case–control study
Issued Date
2025-12-01
Resource Type
eISSN
20452322
Scopus ID
2-s2.0-105022522489
Pubmed ID
41266522
Journal Title
Scientific Reports
Volume
15
Issue
1
Rights Holder(s)
SCOPUS
Bibliographic Citation
Scientific Reports Vol.15 No.1 (2025)
Suggested Citation
Ngamprasertchai T., Phatharodom P., Intalapaporn K., Sutthipool K., Chongtrakool P., Yungyuen T., Luvira V., Ratanasuwan W., Rattanaumpawan P., Lawpoolsri S., Pitisuttithum P. Effectiveness of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against medically attended pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection among older adults: a case–control study. Scientific Reports Vol.15 No.1 (2025). doi:10.1038/s41598-025-24784-0 Retrieved from: https://repository.li.mahidol.ac.th/handle/123456789/113295
Title
Effectiveness of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against medically attended pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection among older adults: a case–control study
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Abstract
The 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) has been recommended for more than a decade for older adults and individuals with chronic medical or immunocompromising conditions. However, real-world evidence on its vaccine effectiveness (VE) in this population especially Low- or Middle-Income Country (LMIC) is limited. This study aimed to evaluate the VE of PCV13 against pneumococcal lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI) among older and high-risk adults. The study was a case–control design using data from a tertiary, university-affiliated hospital between Jan 2014 and Dec 2024. Adults aged ≥ 60 years with medically attended LRTI were included. Cases were defined as culture-confirmed pneumococcal LRTI. Controls were patients with LRTI in whom Streptococcus pneumoniae was not isolated, identified via ICD-10 codes. VE was estimated using logistic regression, comparing odds of PCV13 vaccination between cases and controls. Among 825 patients with LRTI, 39 (4.7%) had received PCV13 and 786 (95.3%) were unvaccinated. The crude VE of PCV13 against pneumococcal LRTI was 71.9% (95% CI: 27.3–89.1), and the adjusted VE was 73.3% (95% CI: 9.0–92.1). The requirement for mechanical ventilation at admission decreased among PCV13-vaccinated patients compared with unvaccinated patients with pneumococcal LRTI. VE appeared comparable among individuals aged ≥ 75 years compared to those < 75 years. In a sensitivity analysis restricted to controls with non-pneumococcal bacterial LRTI, the crude VE increased to 76.1% (95% CI: 34.3–91.3). PCV13 demonstrated real-world effectiveness in preventing medically attended pneumococcal LRTI among older adults. The public health benefit of PCV13 in older adults in LMICs was clearly demonstrated.