Effectiveness of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine against vaccine-type invasive pneumococcal disease in Pakistan.

Objective: To assess the effectiveness of 10-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV10) against invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) due to vaccine serotypes of Streptococcus pneumoniae post introduction of the vaccine into the routine immunization program in Pakistan.

Methods: A matched case-control study was conducted at 16 hospitals in Sindh Province, Pakistan. Children aged <5years (eligible to receive PCV10) who presented with radiographically confirmed pneumonia and/or meningitis were enrolled as cases.

Identification of etiological agents by LPA and PCR in childhood meningitis.

Objectives: To determine the etiological agents by Latex Particle Agglutination (LPA) and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) in patients admitted with Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) culture negative bacterial meningitis Methods: This descriptive case series was conducted at National Institute of Child Health, Karachi from January 2010 to December 2012. Patients meeting the WHO case definition of suspected meningitis from one month to 59 months of age were included in the study. CSF examination and culture was carried out on every patient and CSF culture negative patients were enrolled.

Mortality and neurodevelopmental outcomes of acute bacterial meningitis in children aged <5 years in Pakistan.

Objective: Significant neurodevelopmental sequelae are known to occur after acute bacterial meningitis (ABM). This study determined the burden of such sequelae in Pakistani children aged <5 years to guide policies for Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pneumococcal vaccination.

Study Design: Cases of ABM were recruited from hospital-based surveillance and assigned to 1 of 3 etiologic groups (Hib, Streptococcus pneumoniae, or unknown etiology).

Effectiveness of Haemophilus influenzae type b conjugate vaccine on radiologically-confirmed pneumonia in young children in Pakistan.

Objective: The effectiveness of Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccine in preventing severe pneumonia in Asian children has been questioned, and many large Asian countries yet to introduce Hib conjugate vaccine in immunization programs. The primary objective of this study was to assess Hib conjugate vaccine effectiveness (VE) on radiologically-confirmed pneumonia in children born after introduction of Hib conjugate vaccine in Pakistan.

Study Design: A matched case-control study enrolled cases of radiologically-confirmed pneumonia in several hospitals serving low-income populations during 2009-2011.