Study: Ear infection profile shows change after pneumococcal vaccine introduction

Ear infections in young children have declined over the past decade since pneumococcal conjugate vaccines were introduced, and though infections from Streptococcus pneumoniae—the main cause of such infections—have dropped, other pathogens have stepped in as the main sources, researchers reported yesterday. The findings, from a longitudinal study published in an early online issue of Pediatrics, provide one of the first glimpses of the epidemiology of acute otitis media (AOM) since the 1980s, before pneumococcal conjugate 7 and 13 vaccines were introduced. Since then, experts have tightened the clinical definition of and changed treatment guidance for AOM, the most common condition treated with antibiotics, a concern given rising antibiotic resistance levels. According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) estimates, more than 5 million AOM infections occur each year in US children, resulting in 30 million doctor visits and 10 million antibiotic prescriptions. Bacterial patterns changed, but not risk factors A team followed 615 children who...