Vaccine-resistant pneumonia has increased since a vaccine targeting 13 serotypes of the Streptococcus pneumoniae bacteria was introduced into the Australian routine childhood immunisation program.
The third-generation vaccine has fewer potential side effects than second-generation vaccines and can be safely given to people with weakened immune systems.
While public health measures in schools and hospitals aim to reduce COVID transmission, people with disability who have support workers in their homes have largely been forgotten.
Variant-specific vaccines would undoubtedly increase immunity. But waves of new variants would engulf the population faster than these vaccines could ever be deployed.
