New pneumococcal vaccine 'does save lives' - as more parents urged to vaccinate their children

PRNewswire-GNN London 21 December

London, 21 December /PRNewswire-GNN/ --

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH News Release (2007/0353) issued by The Government News
Network on 21 December 2007
Estimates show that over 300 children have avoided serious illness like
meningitis, septicaemia and severe pneumonia after being given the pneumococcal
conjugate vaccine - just one year after its launch.

Of these 300 cases, it is estimated that 17 would have died, and about 30
would have been left with a permanently disability.

However, Director of Immunisation Professor David Salisbury is calling for
more children to be vaccinated as uptake of the new vaccine remains lower
than vaccines for other illnesses. Figures out today by the Health Protection
Agency show that 86 per cent of children have received their PCV vaccine so
far - leaving one in six children without protection.

Health minister Ben Bradshaw said:

"Vaccinating children against harmful diseases is one of the easiest and most
important health measures we can take. These figures are a stark reminder
of the importance and benefits of immunisation as we shift the focus of the
NHS from a sickness service to a wellbeing service."

David Salisbury says:

"That about 300 young children have already been saved the trauma of suffering
from a major illness like meningitis shows the importance of vaccinating
children against serious illness.

"It is so important for a child to get all their vaccinations and this success
story should serve as a reminder to check that your child's vaccines are up
to date."

Sue Davie, Chief Executive at the Meningitis Trust, says:

"Pneumococcal meningitis is a devastating disease and vaccination is the
only way to prevent it. That means it is important for parents to immunise
their children. The Meningitis Trust fully supports this vaccine and backed
its introduction last year. Through our 24-hour nurse-led helpline and other
services, we know what impact meningitis can have on the individual, their
family, friends and colleagues, and every day we hear how people's lives
have been changed forever after contracting meningitis."

Notes to editors:

1. Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV) protects against the seven most
common strains of Streptococcus pneumoniae. Pneumococcal infection can cause
invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) such as meningitis, septicaemia and
severe pneumonia, as well as less serious diseases, such as milder pneumonia
and non-invasive bronchitis. Younger children, particularly those under one
year of age, are particularly vulnerable to pneumococcal infection.

2.  PCV vaccine was introduced to the routine childhood immunisation programme
in September 2006.  A catch-up programme was introduced at the same time to
immunise older children under 2 years of age.

3.  PCV is routinely given to infants at 2 and 4 months with a booster dose
at 13 months of age.

4. We are already seeing a significant decline in cases of serious pneumococcal
infections in children under 2 years of age, which means that deaths and
serious disabilities are being prevented. The latest data is available at
http://www.hpa.org.uk/infections/topics_az/pneumococcal/IPDcumuINvacc.htm

5. As a result of the introduction of PCV, it is expected that the rate of
pneumococcal infections in young children will decline significantly, and
this is being monitored very closely. It will also be expected that cases
of pneumococcal infection in older people (including older unvaccinated
children and the elderly) will also decline because fewer children will be
carrying the bacteria.

6. The figures for number of cases and deaths prevented since the
introduction of the programme were estimated by the Health Protection
Agency. Epidemiologists compared the number of laboratory confirmed cases
of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) that were reported in children who
were eligible for routine or catch-up vaccination since September 2006 to
an earlier cohort of children (of the same age) who did not receive the
vaccine. The difference in these figures was used to estimate the number
of cases prevented. The number of deaths prevented is estimated from the
proportion of children known to die from invasive pneumococcal disease. 6%
of IPD cases were fatal. Of these diseases, meningitis is the most severe
form and around 16% cases were fatal in children.

7.  Of those young children who survive pneumococcal meningitis, up to
half are left with permanent disability, including deafness, intellectual
impairment, speech and language problems, paralysis, cerebral palsy, epilepsy
and blindness (Bedford et al., Meningitis in infancy in England and Wales:
follow-up at age 5 years. BMJ 323: 533-6).

8. About 90% of children have completed their routine vaccinations by age
12 months. Latest figures show that 84% children have received one dose of
MMR by age 24 months.

9. Immunisation remains the safest way for parents to protect their children
against disease and the Government remains committed to maintaining our
effective immunisation programme.

10. The UK national immunisation programme aims to prevent illness and deaths
caused by vaccine-preventable disease. It is easy to forget the difference
vaccines have made to health in this country because many diseases that
used to be commonplace are now rare or not seen at all. This is due to the
success of the national immunisation programme.

11. Children are routinely vaccinated against diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis
(whooping cough), polio, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), measles, mumps,
rubella, meningitis C and, from September 2006, pneumococcal infections.

12. Parents and health professionals can access further information about
vaccines from www.immunisation.nhs.uk

13. For media enquiries contact the Department of Health Media Centre Newsdesk
on 0207 210 5221. For all other enquiries contact 0207 210 4850.