Pneumococcus is the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia in children.3
Children under 2 years old with pneumococcal disease have a high risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (a more severe form caused by pneumococcus).
Pneumococcal meningitis is most common in children under 2 years old.6
An immature immune system increases the risk of severe illness and death in young children.7
Post-infection complications may include neurological sequelae, motor impairments, hearing loss, and seizures.
TAP THE ICON to learn more about the type of infection
SEPSIS
(presence of bacteria in the bloodstream)
A life-threatening condition
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Chills
- Confusion or altered mental status
Complications:
- Limb amputation
- 1 in 30 children with pneumococcal sepsis dies from the infection
MENINGITIS
(infection of the membranes surrounding the brain and spinal cord)
Symptoms:
- Stiff neck
- Fever and headache
- Sensitivity to light
- Confusion or altered consciousness
- Vomiting, poor appetite
- Fatigue
Complications:
- 1 in 12 children with pneumococcal meningitis dies from the infection
- High risk of neurological impairment or hearing loss after recovery
INVASIVE PNEUMONIA
(lung infection with bacteria present in the blood)
Symptoms:
- Fever
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
- Productive sputum
- Pleuritic chest pain
Complications:
- 30-day mortality is significantly higher in patients with bacteremic pneumonia (28.6%) compared to non-bacteremic cases (8.5%)
- Infection-related mortality is also higher in bacteremic pneumonia (19.5%) vs. non-bacteremic (4%)
ECONOMIC BURDEN
due to pneumococcal pneumonia occur each year in the United States.9
was spent annually on the treatment of community-acquired pneumonia in the U.S. between 1996 and 1998.10
higher: The healthcare costs for high-risk individuals with pneumonia compared to healthy individuals.11
Prevention For Child
Preventing pneumococcal disease is supported by the following measures:12
- Strengthening immune resistance through nutrition
- Maintaining household and environmental hygiene
Consult your doctor for effective preventive methods.
CDC recommends prevention for high-risk groups such as: 13
Your may be at increased risk
You may be in a higher-risk group.
Worth your attention.Pneumococcus can lead to life-threatening diseases
What is Invasive Pneumococcal Disease?
Invasive Pneumococcal Disease is a dangerous infection caused by pneumococcus invading sterile areas of the body such as blood or the central nervous system. Invasive Pneumococcal Disease includes meningitis, bacteremia, and invasive pneumonia. 2
How is pneumococcal disease transmitted?
Pneumococcal disease spreads through direct contact with respiratory secretions, such as saliva or mucus. Children who are not vaccinated are at higher risk of infection, partly because their immune systems are not yet fully developed. 2
What are pneumococcal serotypes?
Serotypes are classified based on different structures on the surface of pneumococcus. Different serotypes of pneumococcus can cause a range of infections from mild to severe, depending on the characteristics of each strain. 3
How common is pneumococcus?
Nearly 60% of children have pneumococcus residing in the nose and throat. Pneumococcus is then transmitted to others via droplets and contact. 1
Can pneumococcus be actively prevented in young children?
Yes, contact your doctor for preventive measures.
How does pneumococcal disease affect children?
Severe cases of pneumococcal disease can cause death, neurological complications, hearing loss, delayed development, or limb loss.6
References
(1) CDC tại https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/hcp/clinical-overview/index.html. Truy cập 30/3/25
(2) UNICEF tại https://www.unicef.org/stories/childhood-pneumonia-explained. Truy cập 30/3/25
(3) WHO tại https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/pneumonia. Truy cập ngày 30/3/25
(4) Tan, T. Q. (2012). Pediatric invasive pneumococcal disease in the United States in the era of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines. Clinical microbiology reviews, 25(3), 409-419.
(5) CDC tại https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/signs-symptoms/index.html. Truy cập 30/3/25
(6) Meningtidis Research Foundation tại https://www.meningitis.org/meningitis/bacterial-meningitis/pneumococcal-meningitis. Truy cập 30/3/25
(7) NUHS tại https://www.nuhs.edu.sg/patient-care/find-a-condition/pneumococcal-disease-children. Truy cập 30/3/35
(8) Olarte, L., Barson, W. J., (2015). Impact of the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine on pneumococcal meningitis in US children.
(9) CDC tại https://www.cdc.gov/pinkbook/hcp/table-of-contents/chapter-17-pneumococcal-disease.html. Truy cập 30/3/25
(10) Colice, G. L., Morley, M. A., Asche, C., & Birnbaum, H. G. (2004). Treatment costs of community-acquired pneumonia in an employed population. Chest, 125(6), 2140-2145.
(11) Weycker, D., Farkouh, R. A., Strutton, D. R., Edelsberg, J., Shea, K. M., & Pelton, S. I. (2016). Rates and costs of invasive pneumococcal disease and pneumonia in persons with underlying medical conditions. BMC health services research, 16, 1-10.
(12) Mulholland, K. (1999). Strategies for the control of pneumococcal diseases. Vaccine, 17, S79-S84.
(13) CDC tại https://www.cdc.gov/pneumococcal/vaccines/index.html. Truy cập 30/3/25
(14) Bacteremic Pneumonia in Neutropenic
Patients With Cancer. Causes, Empirical Antibiotic Therapy, and Outcome Jordi Carratala, MD, PhD; Beatriz Roson, MD; Alberto Ferna´ ndez-Sevilla, MD, PhD;
Fernando Alcaide, MD; Francesc Gudiol, MD, PhD.
(15) Risk factors and pathogenic significance of bacteremic pneumonia in adult patients with community-acquired pneumococcal pneumonia Cheol-In Kang a,l , Jae-Hoon Song a,b,l, *, So Hyun Kim b , Doo Ryeon Chung a,l , Kyong Ran Peck a,l , Visanu Thamlikitkul c,l , Hui Wang d,k,l , Thomas Man-kit So e,l,n , Po-Ren Hsueh f,l , Rohani Md. Yasin g,l , Celia C. Carlos h,l , Pham Hung Van i,l ,Jennifer Perera j,l
