The Pediatric infectious disease journal
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Pediatr. Infect. Dis. J. · Dec 2008
Multicenter StudyRevisiting the need for vaccine prevention of late-onset neonatal group B streptococcal disease: a multistate, population-based analysis.
Intrapartum antibiotic prophylaxis for neonatal group B streptococcal disease (GBS) effectively prevents disease among infants <7 days old, but there are no prevention strategies for late-onset GBS disease (onset on days 7-89 of life). We describe trends in late-onset GBS over a 16-year period to characterize disease burden and estimate vaccine preventability. ⋯ The late-onset GBS disease burden remains substantial. A trivalent vaccine could be an effective prevention strategy. Because many cases were born preterm, reducing the opportunity for transplacental antibody transfer, adolescent immunization should be considered.