Serotyping data for pneumococci causing invasive and noninvasive disease in 2008-2009 and 2010-2011 from >43 US centers were compared with data from preconjugate vaccine (1999-2000) and postconjugate vaccine (2004-2005) periods. Prevalence of 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine serotypes decreased from 64% of invasive and 50% of noninvasive isolates in 1999-2000 to 3.8% and 4.2%, respectively, in 2010-2011. Increases in serotype 19A stopped after introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal vaccine (PCV13) in 2010. Prevalences of other predominant serotypes included in or related to PCV13 (3, 6C, 7F) also remained similar for 2008-2009 and 2010-2011. The only major serotype that increased from 2008-2009 to 2010-2011 was nonvaccine serotype 35B. These data show that introduction of the 7-valent vaccine has dramatically decreased prevalence of its serotypes and that addition of serotypes in PCV13 could provide coverage of 39% of isolates that continue to cause disease.
Keywords: Streptococcus pneumoniae; United States; bacteria; conjugate vaccines; pathogenesis; serotype; streptococci; vaccine.