Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) is responsible for meningitis especially in children younger than 5 years and in the elderly, as well as in those who have chronic and debilitating pathological conditions that can favor the onset of the disease.
Against Streptococcus pneumoniae, two types of vaccines are currently available, both composed only of parts of the microorganism and defined as multivalent as they protect against multiple serotypes of the bacterium.
The pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (7-valent) consists of the 7 serogroups responsible for 89% of the forms of pneumococcal meningitis in infancy, conjugated to the carrier protein (diphtheria toxoid). It is administered intramuscularly; the number of doses required varies according to the age at which the vaccination cycle begins.
The polysaccharide (23-valent) anti-pneumococcal vaccine consists of the polysaccharides present on the outer wall of the 23 most frequent serotypes of the pathogenic bacterium; it is inoculated subcutaneously or intramuscularly and a single dose is sufficient.
