ARTICLE Effect of Combined Pneumococcal Conjugate and Polysaccharide Vaccination on Recurrent Otitis Media With Effusion

The authors have indicated they have no financial relationships relevant to this article to disclose. BACKGROUND.Otitis media with effusion (OME) is very common during childhood. Because Streptococcus pneumoniae is one of the most common bacterial pathogens involved in OME, pneumococcal vaccines may have a role in the prevention of recurrent OME. OBJECTIVE.We sought to assess the effect of combined pneumococcal conjugate and polysaccharide vaccinations on the recurrence of OME. METHODS.A randomized, controlled trial was performed with 161 children, 2 to 8 years of age, with documented persistent bilateral OME. All subjects were treated with tympanostomy tubes (TTs). One half of the subjects were assigned randomly to additional vaccination with a 7-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine 3 to 4 weeks before and a 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine 3 months after tube insertion. Blood samples were drawn at the first vaccination, at the time of TT placement, and 1 and 3 months after the second vaccination. Levels of Ig