Research snapshot: effective pneumococcal vaccination campaigns in displaced populations

Contains findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for research.

Abstract

This study aims to estimate the effectiveness of pneumococcal vaccines, if delivered in a single campaign, to improve child health before routine immunisation services can be restored.

The findings indicate that pneumococcal vaccines delivered at high coverage in a single dose one-off campaign to children up to at least 5 years old can provide substantial protection against pneumococcal disease in displaced populations. Partial protection in unvaccinated birth cohorts can be sustained for 3 to 5 years through herd protection. Campaigns targeting only children at highest risk for disease (those under 2) are less effective and less efficient.

This snapshot contains key messages, findings, implications for humanitarian policymakers and practitioners and recommendations for further research.

This research was supported by the Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises (R2HC) Programme.

Citation

London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Save the Children and Murdoch Children’s Research Institute. ‘Research snapshot: effective pneumococcal vaccination campaigns in displaced populations’ Elrha, 2022

Research snapshot: effective pneumococcal vaccination campaigns in displaced populations

Updates to this page

Published 11 November 2022