Evolution of Pneumococcal Vaccine Recommendations and Criteria for Decision Making in 5 Western European Countries and the United States.

Objectives: Pneumococcal vaccine recommendations have become increasingly complex. This study aims to understand how national immunization technical advisory groups (NITAGs) and health technology assessment (HTA) agencies of 5 European countries and the United States formed their pneumococcal vaccine recommendations, by providing reviewed evidence and key drivers for new recommendations.

Methods: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, and National Health Authorities Web sites were screened to capture the evolution of pneumococcal recommendations.