Paediatrician urges 15-valent jab top-ups after boy dies of pneumococcal infection
A nine-year-old boy died a day after hospital admission from invasive pneumococcal disease. A Hong Kong University paediatrician said the 15-valent vaccine, in use since August 2024, better controls serotype 3 and advised children in need to get top-up doses.
A previously healthy nine-year-old boy has died from invasive pneumococcal disease, a day after being admitted to hospital with complications. The boy had not travelled abroad during the incubation period, according to RTHK.
Dr Kwan Yat-wah, honorary clinical associate professor of paediatrics and adolescent medicine at the University of Hong Kong, said on the RTHK programme Millennium that invasive pneumococcal disease is a serious bacterial infection that particularly affects children and the elderly. Complications can include meningitis, which can cause death or permanent disability; bacteria entering the blood can lead to multiple organ failure; and haemolytic uraemic syndrome, in which red blood cells break down spontaneously, can cause acute kidney failure.
Dr Kwan noted that cases of invasive pneumococcal disease are relatively rare because since 2009 the government has vaccinated infants born in Hong Kong and has urged people aged 65 and above to get vaccinated. When cases occur sporadically, investigations are needed to determine the cause, including whether the patient had been vaccinated and whether their immune system had problems.
There are more than 90 serotypes of invasive pneumococcus, Dr Kwan said, with serotype 3 the most frightening because it can very easily cause a sudden deterioration and complications. He said the previous 13-valent vaccine did not control serotype 3 well, and since August 2024 Hong Kong has switched to the 15-valent vaccine, which is expected to help control the disease. Individual children who need it can receive a top-up dose of the 15-valent vaccine, he added.
Dr Kwan also said invasive pneumococcus is transmitted through droplets, and urged the public to wash hands frequently and wear masks as preventive measures.