A Podful of Pediatrics

The One Where We Talk About Pneumococcal

Episode Summary

Pneumococcal disease can cause serious illness in kids—think ear infections, pneumonia, meningitis, and even sepsis. In this episode of A Podful of Pediatrics, Dr. Smith and Dr. Hankins break down what parents need to know about this common bacteria, how it spreads, and why vaccines like PCV13 and PCV20 are game changers. ✅ What pneumococcus does in the body ✅ Real stories from the hospital ✅ How vaccines have drastically reduced deaths ✅ The difference between Prevnar and Pneumovax This one’s packed with science made simple—and just the right dose of humor.

Episode Notes

  1. Weiser JN, Ferreira DM, Paton JC. Streptococcus pneumoniae: transmission, colonization and invasion. Nat Rev Microbiol 2018; 16:355.
  2. Perin J, Mulick A, Yeung D, et al. Global, regional, and national causes of under-5 mortality in 2000-19: an updated systematic analysis with implications for the Sustainable Development Goals. Lancet Child Adolesc Health 2022; 6:106.
  3. World Health Organization. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in infants and children under 5 years of age: WHO position paper – February 2019. https://www.who.int/immunization/policy/position_papers/pneumococcus/en/ (Accessed on September 08, 2020). 
  4. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Pneumococcal Disease Surveillance and Trends. https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/php/surveillance 
  5. Baxter R, Aukes L, Pelton SI, et al. Impact of the 13-Valent Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine on Invasive Pneumococcal Disease After Introduction Into Routine Pediatric Use. J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc 2021; 10:141.
  6. Tseng HF, Sy LS, Liu IL, et al. Postlicensure surveillance for pre-specified adverse events following the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in children. Vaccine 2013; 31:2578.
  7. Orenstein W, Offit PA, Edwards KM and Plotkin SA. Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine and pneumococcal common protein vaccines, in Vaccines, 8th Edition, 2024, 826-868. 
  8. The complexity of serotype replacement of pneumococci Human Vaccine Immunotherapy. 2019 Jun 13;15(11):2725–2728 
  9. https://www.nvic.org/disease-vaccine/pneumococcal/vaccine-history
  10. https://www.bradspellberg.com/vaccine-rcts?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email