Economic burden of respiratory syncytial virus in adults in Germany - a health claims analysis between 2015 and 2018.

Aims: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes severe lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI) in infants and adults. While the clinical burden was recently estimated in adults in Germany, little is known about the economic burden. To fill this gap, this study aimed to assess hospital and outpatient healthcare resource utilization (HRU) and costs of RSV infections in adults in Germany.

Mathematical modeling of pneumococcal transmission dynamics in response to PCV13 infant vaccination in Germany predicts increasing IPD burden due to serotypes included in next-generation PCVs.

Introduction: Two next-generation pneumococcal conjugate vaccines (PCVs), a 15- and a 20-valent PCV (PCV15 and PCV20), have recently been licensed for use in adults, and PCV15 has also been licensed in children. We developed a dynamic transmission model specific for Germany, with the aim to predict carriage prevalence and invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) burden for serotypes included in these vaccines.

Methods: The model allows to follow serotype distributions longitudinally both in the absence and presence of PCV vaccinations.

Pneumococcal vaccination rates in immunocompromised patients in Germany: A retrospective cohort study to assess sequential vaccination rates and changes over time.

Background: Pneumococcal vaccination is recommended by the German Standing Committee on Vaccination (STIKO) for infants, elderly 60+ years and patients at risk. In 2016, a sequential pneumococcal vaccination schedule (conjugate vaccine followed by polysaccharide vaccine 6-12 months later) supplemented this recommendation for immunocompromised patients ≥2 years of age. Previous research showed low pneumococcal vaccination rates (pnc-VR) in this vulnerable group.

Population-based incidence and mortality of community-acquired pneumonia in Germany.

Background: Little information on the current burden of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) in adults in Germany is available.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using a representative healthcare claims database of approx. 4 million adults to estimate the incidence rates (IR) and associated mortality of CAP in 2015.

Vaccination rate and adherence of tick-borne encephalitis vaccination in Germany.

Background: Tick-borne encephalitis (TBE) is an arboviral infection of the central nervous system. As there is no causal treatment of TBE, disease prevention by vaccination is especially important. Immunization consists of a three-dose primary vaccination schedule, followed by regular booster doses.