Faced with an increase in pneumococcal cases and greater risks in the elderly of this sometimes fatal infection, the high health authority (HA) recommended on Tuesday, January 28 to expand vaccination to all French 65 years or more , tell the most fragile.
This vaccination was recommended since July 2023 for adults at risk seriously against an increase in the incidence of invasive pneumococcal infections.
Now he has considered it necessary to expand it to “all people 65 years of age or older, and not only for older people who present comorbidities,” said the authority in a statement, which was a self -consiest, since it is generally consulted by the Ministry of Health . The Minister of Health remains to be followed, or not, the recommendation.
Pneumococci, andvasive infections, bacterial infection …
The Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria, responsible for pneumococcal infections, is in France the main cause of invasive infections (meningitis, bacteremia) in adults. It is also one of the main factors of bacterial influenza in adults.
With the expansion of the objective of the vaccine, the high health authority shows a “double objective”: increase vaccination coverage but also simplify the calendar of vaccines by key age.
Vaccination coverage is generally considered “very insufficient”: “between 5 and 16.9%”, while “the incidence of invasive infections has remained high in adults at risk and significantly increasing with age,” said authority.
However, “age is a risk factor only to recommend expansion”: 60% of invasive pneumococcal infections refer to 65 years or more, and the severity of these infections is multiplied by three to 65 years.
Pneumococcal pneumonia mortality affects one in ten or more hospitalized patients in elderly patients. Half 65 -year -old adults and excess hospitalized for acute pneumonia and more than a quarter of patients hospitalized by invasive pneumococcal infection occur in people without comorbidities, escaping the current vaccination recommendations.
He has indicated that he has taken into account the data and tolerance of the previous vaccine-20 (US laboratory. Pfizer), but also of pharmacovigilance. Between 65 years or more, four vaccines (covid, flu, area, pneumococcus) and a reminder (DTP) are recommended.
The pneumococcal vaccine, in a single dose, can be administered separately or together with an anti -written vaccine and a retirement against the Covir.
The Human Use Medicines Committee (CHMP) of the European Medicines Agency should give its opinion this week about the pneumococcal vaccine (PCV21) developed by MSD (name abroad from the American Laboratory Merck) to protect the elderly. This vaccine covers the pneumococcal serotypes responsible for 88% of meningitis and bacteremia, according to MSD.
Source: BFM TV
