OBJECTIVES

After the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV13) introduction into the National Immunization Program in Argentina for children in 2012, a significant reduction of pneumococcal disease was observed. PCVs in development, 15-valent (PCV15) and 20-valent (PCV20), are expected to expand pneumococcal disease coverage and address more pneumococcal disease burden due to inclusion of additional serotypes. Our objective was to estimate the annual clinical and economic burden caused by the serotypes included in currently licensed and investigational PCVs among Argentinean children under five years.

METHODS

: A decision analytic model was used to calculate the burden of disease caused by serotypes contained in four PCVs. Epidemiologic, clinical, and cost data were estimated from published sources for children under five based on 2021 population figures. Invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) serotype distribution by PCV formulation was derived from SIREVA II and used to extrapolate outcomes. Clinical outcomes included annual cases of IPD, inpatient and outpatient pneumonia, and acute otitis media (AOM), as well as deaths associated with IPD and outpatient pneumonia. Economic outcomes included direct costs by disease state and by each payer subsector.

RESULTS

: Based on reported serotype coverage, PCV20 is estimated to cover 55% of current pneumococcal disease, with 10-valent (PCV10), PCV13, and PCV15 covering 19%, 36% and 40%, respectively. Based on our assumptions, PCV20 serotypes caused more disease compared to other PCVs, causing a total of 352,973 annual cases. Of these, IPD represented an estimated 0.05%. Total direct attributable annual subsector costs were 29.1 million USD for private, 26.9 million USD for social security, and 22.3 million USD for public.

CONCLUSIONS

: Investigational PCVs that offer the broader serotype coverage will continue to protect infants against serotypes contained in current vaccines. PCV20 has the potential to deliver additional public health impact and economic value across all subsectors in Argentina.