Invasive pneumococcal disease and 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) coverage among children aged ≤59 months—selected U.S. regions, 2010–2011

On March 12, 2010, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) published recommendations for use of a newly licensed, 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) to replace the 7-valent vaccine (PCV7) for all children and for a supplemental dose for those aged 14 through 59 months. PCV is given routinely to children at ages 2, 4, and 6 months, and a booster dose is given at 12–15 months. PCV13 includes antigens of six pneumococcal serotypes in addition to those in PCV7. Children only vaccinated with PCV7 are susceptible to those six serotypes, which can cause invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) and death. During 2010 and 2011, CDC evaluated available data to assess the occurrence of PCV13-type IPD cases and PCV13 vaccination coverage among children aged ≤59 months. During May 1, 2010–April 30, 2011, 63 vaccine-eligible children with IPD caused by a serotype that would have been prevented by PCV13 were identified within 12 study regions. Most of those children were aged 24 through 59 months and were vaccinated completely with PCV7 but had not received the recommended supplemental dose of PCV13. Immunization Information System (IIS) sentinel site data from March 2010–June 2011 indicated that the proportion of PCV7-vaccinated children who had received the PCV13 supplemental dose was only 37%. Similarly, among children aged ≤59 months requiring additional primary series doses, PCV13 coverage was only 46%. Given the potential for missed PCV13 vaccination, health-care providers should recommend PCV13 vaccination for all eligible children aged 14 through 59 months during all visits, and continue to ensure receipt of the full PCV13 primary series for younger children.