The surveillance system for invasive pneumococcal infections established by Santé publique France makes it possible to study the epidemiological trends of this vaccine-preventable disease as well as vaccination coverage.

Stable vaccination coverage

Three-dose vaccination coverage among children aged 24 months increased between 2010 and 2020. It was reported at 88.6% in 2010 and 95.0% in 2020.

An increase in incidence in 2023, but at levels close to those observed before the COVID-19 pandemic

The introduction of the PCV13 vaccine into the infant immunization schedule in 2010 was followed, through 2014, by a marked decrease in invasive pneumococcal infections among children under 2 years of age. Thanks to herd immunity resulting from high vaccination coverage and the vaccine’s effectiveness against nasopharyngeal carriage, a decrease was also observed among older children and adults.

Between 2015 and 2019, an upward trend in the annual incidence rate was observed, primarily linked to the increased incidence of infections caused by serotypes not included in the PC13 vaccine, which accounted for 74% of all infections in 2015 and 79% in 2019, with a particular prevalence of serotypes 8, 12F, and 22F in adults; serotype 24F in children; and serotype 3 (included in the 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine [PCV13]) in adults, due to the vaccine’s lower protection against this serotype.

In 2020, following the implementation of public health measures nationwide in response to the emergence of COVID-19, a sharp decline in the incidence rate was observed across all age groups. In 2021, the decline continued at the national level but at a more moderate pace than the previous year, with disparities across age groups. The incidence rate thus rose again for bacteremia among children under 5 years of age and for meningitis among children under 2 years of age and those aged 5 to 17, although levels remained lower than those in 2019 before the onset of the pandemic.

In 2022, a marked increase in the incidence rate was observed compared to 2021 for invasive pneumococcal infections, reaching a level close to that of 2019 before the pandemic. This resurgence, likely linked to the lifting of COVID-19 public health measures, began in October 2022. In 2023, the incidence rate was rising but at a more moderate pace than the previous year, with levels remaining similar to those observed before the pandemic.