A comparison of multiple regimens of pneumococcal polysaccharide-meningococcal outer membrane protein complex conjugate vaccine and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine in toddlers

Children who had been randomized to receive one dose of either heptavalent pneumococcal polysaccharide-meningococcal outer membrane protein complex co njugate vaccine (PCV) or 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine (PN2 3) at 12, 15, or Is months of age were subsequently randomized to receive a booster injection of either PCV or PN23 12 months later. For those childre n who received a priming dose of PCV (N = 75) compared to PN23 (N = 48) at 12, 15, or Is months of age, higher serum antibody concentrations were achi eved 1 month following a booster injection of either PCV or PN23 for all se rotypes tested (p < 0.001). Within the group of children receiving a primin g dose of PCV, those children who received a booster dose of PN23 developed higher serum antibody concentrations for four of the seven serotypes teste d and similar opsonic antibody titers to serotype 6B, yet more frequent ery thema (p = 0.030) and pain or soreness (p = 0.024) at the injection site co mpared to those boosted with PCV. In conclusion, a single dose of PCV at 12 -18 months of age primed for responses to booster doses of either PCV or PN 23 12 months later. For those children who received a priming dose of PCV, boosting with PN23 resulted in more frequent injection site pain and erythe ma than boosting with PCV, yet higher antibody concentrations for most of t he serotypes tested. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.