A brief history of pneumococcal vaccines.

摘要: Attempts to control pneumococcal infection by vaccination, undertaken initially in 1911, have gone through 3 phases during the subsequent 8 decades. Initially, vaccines of killed cells prepared a variety ways were used epidemic settings with inconclusive results, although administered approximately 1 million recipients. The discovery that adults injected small amounts purified capsular polysaccharide developed antibodies homologous type led trial tetravalent vaccine showed conclusively its ability prevent types represented it. With advent penicillin and other effective antipneumococcal drugs, interest prophylaxis waned. Interest vaccination was revived only after demonstration some segments population remained at high risk death if infected emergence multidrug-resistant pneumococci. Infants young children, among whom incidence is high, respond poorly bacterial polysaccharides but develop satisfactory responses when these are linked chemically protein. early results trials such protein conjugate give promise significant portion paediatric will soon be feasible.