Summary

On 1 June 2008, the 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV-7), Prevenar®, was added to the New Zealand immunisation schedule. Overseas experience has shown that this vaccine not only has an impact on the incidence of invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) but also on other pneumococcal infections. While ESR has systematically monitored serotypes and antimicrobial susceptibility among Streptococcus pneumoniae causing IPD in New Zealand, there has been no routine monitoring of non-invasive S. pneumoniae.