Pneumococcal infections in children with sickle cell disease before and after pneumococcal conjugate vaccines

Abstract

Children with sickle cell disease (SCD) are at increased risk of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD). Over 25 years, the Georgia Emerging Infections Program/Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Active Bacterial Core Surveillance network identified 104 IPD episodes among 3707 children with hemoglobin SS (HbSS) or HbSC aged <10 years, representing 6% of IPD in Black or African American children residing in Metropolitan Atlanta (reference population). Children with IPD and HbSS/SC were older than those with IPD in the reference population (P