Preventing Invasive Pneumococcal Disease in Children & Adolescents with Leukaemia

Children receiving cancer therapy are at an increased risk of illness and death due to Invasive Pneumococcal Disease (IPD), caused by the bacteria Streptococcus pneumoniae. This study aims to determine the immune response in the blood (immunogenicity) of pneumococcal vaccination given as soon as possible after diagnosis in children and adolescents with leukaemia. A 10-valent conjugate pneumococcal vaccine (10vPCV), marketed as Synflorix(Registered Trademark), came onto the National Immunisation Program in 2009. The latest Australian Immunisation Guidelines (9th edition) recommend that those who develop haematological malignancies, such as leukaemia, have pneumococcal vaccine boosters according to their age. It is recommended that the pneumococcal vaccines be given as early as possible after diagnosis and ideally before chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy is started. This study aims to protect leukaemia patients from IPD as soon as possible after diagnosis. The study patients will be divided into two groups: Group 1: 1 dose of 10vPCV vaccine for those children & adolescents who have already completed their childhood primary pneumococcal conjugate vaccine course (3 doses) Group 2: 3 doses of 10vPCV vaccine 2 months apart for all other children & adolescents The endpoint is a blood test 1 month after each dose. That is Group 1 is assessed once and Group 2 is assessed 3 times. The blood test is to determine if the participants have responded as well as healthy subjects to at least 5 of the 10 serotypes in the Synflorix(Registered Trademark) 10vPCV vaccine.