Efficacy of a Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine against Acute Otitis Media

• Published in: The New England journal of medicine Vol. 344; no. 6; pp. 403 - 409
• Main Authors: Eskola, Juhani, Kilpi, Terhi, Palmu, Arto, Jokinen, Jukka, Eerola, Mervi, Haapakoski, Jaason, Herva, Elja, Takala, Aino, Käyhty, Helena, Karma, Pekka, Kohberger, Robert, Lockhart, Stephen, Siber, George, Mäkelä, P. Helena
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Massachusetts Medical Society 08-02-2001
• Subjects: Acute Disease; acute otitis media; Ambulatory care; Antibodies, Bacterial - blood; Appointments & personnel changes; Biological and medical sciences; Children & youth; Double-Blind Method; Ear diseases; Epidemiology. Vaccinations; Female; General aspects; Haemophilus influenzae; Health facilities; Hepatitis; Hepatitis B Vaccines - adverse effects; Heptavalent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine; Humans; Immunization; Incidence; Infant; Infectious diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Meningococcal Vaccines - adverse effects; Meningococcal Vaccines - immunology; Otitis Media - epidemiology; Otitis Media - immunology; Otitis Media - microbiology; Otitis Media - prevention & control; Pneumococcal Infections - epidemiology; Pneumococcal Infections - immunology; Pneumococcal Infections - prevention & control; Pneumococcal Vaccines - adverse effects; Pneumococcal Vaccines - immunology; Pneumonia; polysaccharides; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Streptococcus infections; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcus pneumoniae - immunology; Streptococcus pneumoniae - isolation & purification; Vaccines; Vaccines, Conjugate - adverse effects; Vaccines, Conjugate - immunology; Finland; Human; Middle ear disease; Acute; Infant; Mixed vaccine; Streptococcus pneumoniae; Streptococcaceae; Immunoprophylaxis; Immunotherapy; Bacteria; Micrococcales; ENT disease; Otitis media
• ISSN: 0028-4793; 1533-4406
• DOI: 10.1056/NEJM200102083440602

Acute otitis media in children accounts for 20 million office visits per year in the United States, and 18 percent of ambulatory care visits among preschool children.
1
,
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Impaired hearing and delayed speech development are the most frequent long-term effects of recurrent episodes of otitis.
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,
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The economic effect of acute otitis media also indicates that prevention is needed. The estimated annual cost associated with otitis is $138 million in Finland (population, 5 million)
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and $2 billion to $5.3 billion in the United States.
6
–
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Streptococcus pneumoniae
is the most commonly reported bacterial cause of acute otitis media, accounting for . . .