Pneumonia vaccine concerns
March 26, 2013
HEALTHCARE professionals are
being urged to actively identify and
vaccinate those at higher risk of
pneumococcal pneumonia this winter,
following a significant decline in
pneumococcal pneumonia
revaccination rates among at-risk
populations in the wake of changes
to the National Immunisation
Program guidelines in early 2012.
The comments follow a study by
researchers from the University of
Sydney’s Family Medicine Research
Centre, which analysed data from
two sub-studies of the Bettering the
Evaluation and Care of Health
(BEACH) program, in which the GP
specified the pneumococcal
vaccination status of each patient.
The first study was conducted
between March-May 2011, whilst the
second between March-May 2012.
The investigation was limited to
patients aged 70 years and over,
with vaccination status determined
by whether or not the patient had
been vaccinated against
pneumococcal disease in the past
five years.
Presence or absence of
pneumococcal risk factor(s) were
determined by whether the patient
had one or more of the following:
diabetes, chronic lung disease,
immune deficiency, heart disease,
were a tobacco smoker, or were an
indigenous patient.
According to the study findings,
among patients most at risk of
pneumococcal pneumonia there
was a drop in revaccination rates of
12.2% after the NIP changes were
implemented (71.7% in May 2012
compared with 83.9% in May 2011
(p<0.01)).
In 2011, under the NIP, nonindigenous
Australians received
one pneumococcal vaccination at
65 years of age and a second
vaccination at 70 years of age (or at
least five years after the first dose).
In April 2011, the TGA advised
healthcare professionals not to
administer a second dose of
vaccine, pending a review.
In January 2012 the
recommendations were reinstated,
but changed to include a second
dose only for patients at high
risk of contracting invasive
pneumococcal disease.
According to the research while
the decrease in revaccination rates
for older Australians with no
additional risk factors, from 81.2%
in 2011 to 65% in 2012, was
anticipated, the 12.2% reduction in
at-risk populations was less so.
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