Pneumonia: Regional experience with prevention programs

Abstract

Aim. To generalize the regional experience in implementing a package of organizational and methodical and antiepidemic measures for preventing pneumococcal infections. Materials and methods. How the prevention programs were implemented using the materials and methods of the epidemiological and statistical monitoring of the incidence of pneumonia in the Amur Region was analyzed. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (Prevenar-13) and influenza vaccines were used for immunoprophylaxis against acute respiratory viral and pneumococcal infections. Information on the incidence of acute respiratory viral infections and pneumonia over time in the period 2010 to 2015 must be taken into account. Indicators and special criteria are used to evaluate the efficiency of vaccination. Results. The comparative statistical analysis revealed the high efficiency of regional programs using the methods for immunoprophylaxis against pneumococcal infections: the vaccination prophylactic efficiency index in terms of the incidence of pneumonia might be as high as 75—100%. Pneumonia morbidity rates became 2.3 times lower in the vaccinated population of the region. Conclusion. The results of the investigation suggest that the Program for the clinical and epidemiological monitoring and prevention of community-acquired pneumonias, by using the vaccine against pneumococcal infection in the Amur Region, has a high medical and socioeconomic efficiency.

Keywords

• pneumonia
• prevention of pneumococcal infections
• pneumococcal vaccine
• efficiency of vaccination