ATLANTA — Healthy children between 2 and 5 years of age who have been incompletely vaccinated against pneumococcal disease should receive one dose of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted at its fall meeting.
The panel also voted that children aged 24–59 months with underlying medical conditions who are incompletely vaccinated should receive two doses of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) at least 2 months apart, unless they have already received three doses, in which case one dose should be given.
The definition of underlying conditions is unchanged and includes sickle-cell disease or related conditions, splenic dysfunction, HIV infection, immunocompromising conditions, chronic cardiac or pulmonary disease, cerebrospinal fluid leaks, and diabetes mellitus (MMWR 2000; 49(RR-9):1–38).
“Simplifying and expanding the catch-up recommendation may improve PCV7 coverage in healthy, unvaccinated, or incompletely vaccinated children aged 24–59 months,” said Dr. Pekka Nuorti of the CDC.
The ACIP vote passed 11–3. Some panel members questioned the extent of disease prevention the change would provide and the cost-effectiveness of the recommendation. No formal cost-effectiveness analysis has been done, and members explained the aim was just to clarify the existing recommendations. ACIP plans to revise its statement on pneumococcal diseases in 2008.