Potentially Preventable Number of Cases and Deaths Associated with Pneumococcal Diseases and Haemophilus Influenzae in Iran during (2010-2013)

Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) is a leading cause of bacterial pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis in children under 5-year of age. This study aims to estimate potentially preventable number of cases and deaths caused by Hib and pneumococcal in Iran.
We used the burden of diseases model estimates of the World Health Organization (WHO) to calculate the number of cases and deaths caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae and Haemophilus influenzae in children less than 5 years old. Efficacy of Hib and pneumococcal vaccine was obtained from literature. Vaccine coverage was cited of published report from Ministry of Health and Medical Education Iran (National Committee on Immunization). Hib and Streptococcus pneumoniae diseases burden was obtained from the WHO global burden of disease project.
We found that the number of potentially preventable cases and deaths from meningitis caused by Hib among under five years old children in 2013 were 5,414 (95% confidence intervals [CI]: 2838, 11630), and 61 (95% CI: 31, 93), respectively. Estimated number of Streptococcus pneumoniae related pneumonia cases in 2010 and 2013 were 37,732 (95% CI: 22,183, 58,334), and 30,728 (95% CI: 17,023, 50,412), respectively. The corresponding values for pneumonia related deaths from Streptococcus pneumonia were 438 (95% CI: 257, 677), in 2010 and 356 (95% CI: 197, 586), in 2013.
Findings favor the effects of both Hib and Pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV) in reducing the burden of disease and death in Iran. Policy makers are advised to introduce PCV to National immunization program.