Importance and promotion of immunoprophylaxis for pneumococcal disease prevention among elderly populations in China: a brief discussion

Pneumococcal disease is one of serious global public health problems and a major cause of morbidity and mortality among elderly people in China. In the study, the heavy disease burden attributed to the prevalence of pneumococcal disease and the safety/efficacy of pneumococcal vaccines for preventing the disease in elderly populations were summarized briefly; and the lack of evidence-based researches on immunoprophylaxis for pneumococcal disease prevention among Chinese elderly populations was also addressed. It is suggested that the immunoprophylaxis for pneumococcal disease prevention in elderly people needs to be stressed and promoted in China.