Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in England and Wales: Vaccination Implications

Knowledge of the epidemiology of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) will aid in planning the use of pneumococcal vaccines. A United Kingdom (UK)—based surveillance in England and Wales (1995–1997) of 11,528 individuals with IPD and a local enhanced surveillance in the Oxford (UK) area (1995–1999) have been analyzed. IPD has a high attack rate in children, with 37.1–48.1 cases per 100,000 infants 65 years old per year, for England, Wales, and Oxford. The 7-valent conjugate vaccine includes serotypes causing ⩽79% of IPD in children 65 years old. The data also indicate that IPD varies by serotype, age, and country, emphasizing that the epidemiology of IPD is heterogeneous and requires continued surveillance.