Asthma and invasive pneumococccal diseases: the implications for clinical practice, public health and research

In the United States, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices now recommends a single dose of 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharde vaccine to adults with asthma ages 19-64 years. In support of this recommendation, two independent population-based case-control studies showed that individuals with asthma have an increased risk of invasive pneumococcal diseases. In this paper, the author discusses the epidemiological relationship between asthma and invasive pneumococcal disease, and explores the potential mechanisms and the implications of these findings on clinical practice, public health and research.