CALGARY- Alberta’s immunization program appears to be making big strides in wiping out harmful bacteria that can cause infections like pneumonia and meningitis.
Researchers say seven strains of the bacterium Streptococcus pneumoniae have vanished in children under the age of five and nearly eliminated in all other age groups, thanks to a vaccine known as Prevnar. It was introduced in the province in 2002, and 94 per cent of one-year-olds were vaccinated last year.
“It’s being offered to all children, starting for their first vaccination at two months,” explains Dr. Otto Vanderkooi, a pediatric infectious disease specialist. “It’s repeated at four months and in the current schedule, a booster shot at 12 months of age.”
The program has led to Calgary being one of the first cities in the world to nearly eliminate more serious forms of the infection.
“We saw a significant reduction in all the age groups, particularly in those kids under two years of age, those five to 15, and the elderly,” Vanderkooi says.
Serious forms of Streptococcus pneumoniae cause one million deaths worldwide each year. Prior to the introduction of Prevnar in Alberta, up to 120 were being infected in Alberta every year.
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