A Retrospective Analysis to Estimate the Burden of Invasive Pneumococcal Disease and Non-Invasive Pneumonia in Children <15 Years of Age in the Veneto Region, Italy

Abstract

Despite advances in preventative interventions, invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia cause significant morbidity and mortality in children. We studied the annual incidence of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease and non-invasive pneumonia in children p = 0.46) throughout the study. Overall IR of non-invasive pneumonia was 10/1000 person-years and decreased significantly (−0.64, p = 0.026) over the study period. Following PCV13 introduction, the IRs of non-invasive pneumonia in children <15 years of age declined significantly, with no significant change in the IRs of pneumococcal-specific and syndromic invasive disease. There is a continuing clinical burden associated with pediatric pneumococcal diseases in Veneto, Italy.

Keywords

• pneumonia
• invasive disease
• non-invasive pneumonia
• children
• clinical burden
• Italy