CONTRIBUTION OF IMMUNIZATION AGAINST STREPTOCOCCUS PNEUMONIAE AND HEMOPHILUS INFLUENZAE TYPE B IN REDUCING PEDIATRIC RESPIRATORY MORBIDITY

Aim: To highlights the peculiarities of acute respiratory infections and the possible complications in vaccinated children compared with unvaccinated children. Material and methods: This retrospective study included 346 patients aged 1 to 6 years, followed in a general practitioner center from an urban area. The cohort study was analyzed for immunizations and severe respiratory pathology requiring hospitalization or antibiotic therapy until the time of study. Results: Out of the 346 children surveyed, 20 (5.78%) presented ARI, according to the criteria we initially set for the selection, 21 (6.06%) presented otitis, 11 (3.17%) were hospitalized for respiratory tract infections, while 84.97% did not experience complicated respiratory pathology. In the age group 1-2 years old, from the 58 children vaccinated against Hib, but not against S. pneumoniae, 46 did not show severe respiratory pathology (79.31%), while the remaining 12 children (20.68%) recorded hospitalizations, otitis and respiratory infections that required antibiotic treatments. Of the 37 children aged 2-3 years, who were vaccinated against Hib, but not against S. pneumoniae, 32 did not have severe respiratory pathology (86.48%) and 5 children (13.51%) have a higher susceptibility. The distribution of 346 children according to respiratory pathology and vaccines showed that approximately 83% of non-vaccinated children developed respiratory pathology, while this pathology was present in less than 15% of the vaccinated children (p=0.001). Conclusions: We concluded that respiratory pathology was more prevalent in unvaccinated children comparing to vaccinated children.