Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30352744›Full record

ArticleVaccine2018

Pneumococcal carriage in households in Karonga District, Malawi, before and after introduction of 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccination.

Ellen Heinsbroek, Terence Tafatatha, Amos Phiri, Todd D Swarthout, Maaike Alaerts, Amelia C Crampin, Christina Chisambo, Oddie Mwiba, Jonathan M Read, Neil French

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Vaccine, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 37 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
37citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
6.6field-weighted citation impact, top 3% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

37 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 80 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. Comparative pangenomics ofMicrobial genomics · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Ellen HeinsbroekInstitute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK.
Terence TafatathaKaronga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Malawi.
Amos PhiriKaronga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Malawi.
Todd D SwarthoutMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi; Clinical Sciences Department, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Liverpool, UK.
Maaike AlaertsMalawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi.
Amelia C CrampinKaronga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Malawi; London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
Christina ChisamboKaronga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Malawi.
Oddie MwibaKaronga Prevention Study, Chilumba, Malawi.
Jonathan M ReadInstitute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Centre for Health Informatics Computing and Statistics, Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
Neil FrenchInstitute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK; Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, College of Medicine, University of Malawi, Blantyre, Malawi. Electronic address: N.French@liverpool.ac.uk.
University of Liverpool · GBMalawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit · MWLondon School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine · GB

Funding

Wellcome Trust 079828
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThirteen-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) was introduced in Malawi in November 2011 and is offered to infants at 6, 10 and 14 weeks of age as part of routine immunisation. PCV13 is expected to reduce vaccine type (VT) nasopharyngeal carriage, leading to reduced transmission and herd protection.

methodsWe compared pneumococcal carriage in rural Karonga District, Malawi, pre-vaccine in 2009-2011 and post-vaccine in 2014 using a combination of cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses. Nasopharyngeal swabs were collected from a cohort of mother-infant pairs and household members <16 years. Pneumococci from 2009 to 2011 were serogrouped using latex agglutination and serotyped by Quellung reaction. In 2014, latex agglutination was used for both steps. Carriage prevalence ratios using prevalence data from before and after vaccine introduction were calculated by log-binomial regression, adjusted for age, seasonality and household composition. Participating infants in 2014 received PCV13 as part of routine immunisation.

resultsVT carriage prior to PCV-13 introduction was 11.4%, 45.1%, 28.2%, 21.2% and 6.6% for 6-week old infants, 18-week old infants, children 1-4 years, children 5-15 years and mothers, respectively. After vaccine introduction, VT carriage decreased among vaccinated 18-week old infants (adjusted prevalence ratio 0.24 (95%CI 0.08-0.75)), vaccinated children 1-4 years (0.54 (0.33-0.88)), unvaccinated children 5-15 years (0.37 (0.17-0.78)) and mothers (0.34 (0.15-0.79)). No decrease in VT carriage was observed for 6-week old infants too young to be vaccinated (1.07 (0.38-3.02)) and PCV-13 ineligible children 1-4 years (0.84 (0.53-1.33)). Non-VT carriage increased only among vaccinated children 1-4 years (1.58 (1.21-2.06)).

conclusionsThere is evidence of reduced VT pneumococcal carriage three years after vaccine introduction in this rural Malawian population with good vaccine coverage using a 3 + 0 schedule. However carriage was sustained among 6-week-old infants and PCV13 ineligible 1-4 year olds, and there was some indication of serotype replacement in vaccinated 1-4 year olds.

Indexed as

AdolescentCarrier StateChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFamily CharacteristicsFemaleHumansInfantMalawiMaleNasopharynxPneumococcal InfectionsPneumococcal VaccinesRural Population13-valent pneumococcal vaccinePneumococcal VaccinesAfricaCarriageCohort studiesInfantPneumococcal conjugate vaccineStreptococcus pneumoniae

Identifiers

PMID30352744
PMCPMC6238076
OpenAlexW2623739072

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.