Acute lower respiratory infections in Indigenous infants in Australia's Northern Territory across three eras of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine use (2006-15): a population-based cohort study.

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The burden of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in Indigenous children of Australia's Northern Territory is among the highest globally. No published data exists on the effect of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) introduction on ALRIs in this population beyond 2005. The aim of this study was to describe the rates of ALRI admissions to hospital in Indigenous infants in the Northern Territory from 2006 to 2015, across three periods of different PCV use. We hypothesised that broader valency PCVs would be more effective against hospitalisations for pneumonia. METHODS: We did a retrospective population-based cohort study of Indigenous infants born in the Northern Territory fo..